Mages of Asmadur
by Rogue11
Summary: n a AU the Gundam Wing characters are mages at Asmadur's famous Academy of Magic. Heero, Duo, Trowa, Wufei, Relena and Dorothy are at a point in their training where they will be leaving the academy and start their apprenticeship when they discover someth
1. Prologue

A very special Thank You to Anne Olsen for Beta-reading. J

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Mages of Asmadur

Prologue

Duo knocked at the door but didn't wait for an invitation to enter before he opened it and poked his head into the room.  
"Is anybody hungry?" he asked. " The girls, Trowa, and I are going downstairs for dinner. It's Thursday – there will be chocolate pudding for dessert."  
Heero Yuy, lying belly-down on his bed with a chessboard in front of him, nodded. "I'll go with you." He turned his head toward his roommate as he rose. "Wufei?"

The Chinese boy looked up from the book he was reading. "Go ahead without me. I'll catch up with you once I'm finished with this chapter."

"Oh, come on, Fei. Your book will be still here when we get back, trust me." Duo rolled his eyes. It was a mystery to him how anybody could choose a book over chocolate pudding. "What are you reading anyway? I could have sworn you already went through every book in the library."  
Heero took his friend by the arm and pushed him out of the door with gentle force. "Leave him be, Duo. He said he will join us later." He looked back over his shoulder before leaving the room. "We will hold you a seat, Wufei."  
"Thanks. And make sure Maxwell doesn't eat my pudding."

"Sure thing." Heero grinned as Duo snorted in exasperation.

The girls, Dorothy and Relena, and Trowa were already waiting by the stairs. The small group reached the lobby just in time to see the figure of a man materialize on one of the phasing platforms. He was young, tall and had ginger colored hair and blue eyes. He wore an elegant, black mage's robe over a white shirt and dark trousers.

The youths greeted him as the mage walked past them and he returned their greeting with a polite nod.  
"Who was that?" Relena wondered.  
"Treize Khushrenada." Dorothy replied. "I remember seeing him at Grandfather's house a few times when I was younger."

"**The** Treize Khushrenada?" Duo asked as all heads turned to get another look at the mage. Every student at the academy was familiar with the name Treize Khushrenada. After all, it was said that he was the best pupil the school had ever seen, and nobody had even come close to the test scores he had reached. His magic powers had surpassed those of many of his instructors even before he completed his apprenticeship, and at the age of twenty he had been the youngest mage ever to be accepted into the supreme council. But all that had happened before any of them had joined the academy.  
"I wonder why he is here?" Heero mused.  
Towa shrugged, his eyes following the tall man down the hall. "Considering the time of the year, he might be here to pick an apprentice. But that's only a guess."  
"Na," Duo shook his head. "I've heard he doesn't take pupils."

*****

Arch Mage Dermail could sense his visitor's presence even before there was a knock at the door to his office.  
"Please, come in."  
Treize Khushrenada walked into the room and greeted the older man with a nod. "Arch Mage."  
"Ah, Treize." The headmaster gave him a polite smile. "It's nice to see you again. Please, take a seat."  
"You asked to see me. Is something wrong?" the ginger-blond mage asked, as he pulled a chair closer to the desk and sat down.  
"Nothing is wrong," Dermail assured him. "I just wanted to talk to you. Can I offer you something to drink? A glass of wine perhaps?" he opened the doors of the liquor cabinet with the flick of his wrist, revealing a number of bottles and glasses.  
Treize shook his head. "Thank you, but I'm fine."  
"Very well," the arch mage nodded. Another flick and the cabinet closed quietly. "It has been a long time since I have seen you, Treize. How have you been?"  
"I have been alright," the younger man replied. "Please tell me you didn't have me come all this way just to ask me how I'm doing."  
"No, there is something else I want to talk to you about. Although I have to admit I'm somewhat concerned about you. Over the past five years we have seen you here at the academy less than a dozen times."  
"I have been busy," the younger man told him. "And I don't really feel like socializing."  
Dermail looked at him firmly. "You can not go on like this, Treize. You need to move on."

"I don't want to." Treize replied, sounding very much like a stubborn child.  
The headmaster sighed. He knew only to well that the young mage could be just as headstrong as he was talented. After a moment of silence he spoke. "Well, things haven't changed much here at the academy since you left. However we do have an unusual large number of pupils this year ready to begin their apprenticeship. Which is the reason I wanted to talk to you..."  
"No!" Treize exclaimed firmly. "I **will not** take an apprentice. So unless you have anything else to discuss with me, I'll be on my way." The mage rose and headed for the door.  
Dermail frowned. Treize could be so unbelievably pigheaded. "What happened five years ago was a terrible thing. But don't you think it's time for you to come out of your self-imposed isolation? Stop being selfish Treize. Wallowing in self-pity won't achieve anything."

"That was low!" Treize spun around, crystal-eyes eyes sparkling with rage.  
A lesser man would have cringed under the mage's look, but Dermail didn't even blink.  
"How dare you call me selfish?" Treize snarled.  
"Forgive my choice for words." The arch mage leaned back in his chair. "But tell me, Treize, what would you call a person who is wasting all of his talents and skills rather than passing them on to somebody else?" he asked calmly.  
Treize snorted. "Even if I would agree, I doubt that the council will ever allow me to teach another apprentice, considering what happened to my last one."  
"The council, or more precisely most of its members, does not hold you responsible. You did what you had to do. Nobody could have predicted what happened back then. You can't change the past. You can only let go of it and concentrate on the future. Treize, you are still one of the most powerful mages in Asmadur. You have a lot to give and a lot to teach."

"Fine," Treize said suddenly after a long moment of silence. He returned to the chair that he had occupied only a few minutes ago and sat down again. "But under one condition. I want to choose my pupil myself."

"Fair enough," Dermail nodded. He reached into his desk and pulled out a small stack of files.  
"Heero Yuy," he said as he opened the first folder and pushed it toward Treize. "His strength lies in potions and spells, but he is also a very decent enchanter. I had few students as resolute and hard working as he is."  
The younger mage nodded as he examined the picture of a young boy with unruly chocolate brown hair. He had to admit that the boy had a very determined look in his eyes.  
"Duo Maxwell. He will make an excellent charm-caster some day. A sister from the Maxwell orphanage brought him to the council to be tested, after it was discovered that he possessed magical abilities. Although magic doesn't seem to be his only gift." the headmaster couldn't help but chuckle when he thought about the boy with the long, braided hair.  
Treize raised one eyebrow and gave the headmaster a surprised look.  
"Duo is quite a character." Dermail explained before he picked up the next file. "Next we have Trowa Barton. His astral and mental powers are remarkable. I remember when he was only in his second year; the students had been given the assignment of trying to levitate a small stone. After attempting several times unsuccessfully to move the pebble he suddenly managed to make it float several feet over the ground. In the end however it turned out that the rock never left the ground at all. Trowa had just fooled everybody, including myself, with the illusion of a floating rock. That, I have to admit, was rather impressive."  
"I think I remember the boy." Treize said after a look at the picture. "Wasn't it master mage Rashid who discovered him and insisted that he was tested?"  
"Correct," the arch mage confirmed. " Rashid also expressed interest in taking the boy as his apprentice."

Treize nodded in acknowledgement and went on to the next file.

"Chang Wufei is a member of the Long clan and was sent here by his elders. Wufei has been chosen to eventually replace their present summoner. His test scores so far have been the best I have seen in a long time and he has great potential…"  
"But?" Treize asked as he studied the boy's pictures. His features were unmistakably Asian, with golden tanned skin and jet-black hair and eyes.  
"I don't think his heart is really in it."

"Then why is he still here?"  
"Because he meets and exceeds all the requirements," the arch mage replied. "Not to mention that it would be a waste of great potential to send him away. Then we have Relena Darlian. She has excellent healing abilities, but that's not surprising. After all, she comes from a long line of healers."  
"Darlian…Darlian?" Treize repeated. "The name doesn't sound familiar at all."  
"She was adopted when she was still a baby. Darlian is the name of her adoptive parents"

"I see," the mage nodded, but he didn't ask for her real name.

"And last but not least we have Dorothy. You do remember my granddaughter, don't you?"  
"I surely do." Treize nodded. "And I presume that you are planning on teaching her yourself?"  
"I was thinking about it, but feel free to choose her if you wish." The headmaster closed the last file after the ginger-blond mage had finished reading. "These are the six students who have already passed the preliminary tests and are ready to begin their apprenticeship. We have five more pupils who will be tested by the end of the month. If you wish, I can show you their files as well."

Treize shook his head. "Thank you, but that won't be necessary. I have already made my choice."

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T.B.C.

Author's Note: 

  
I didn't really want to start a new fic before I have at least one of my others finished. So I had this one outlined and put aside. But when a few weeks ago "Making Magic" came out, the newest add on to The Sims game, I started putting the settings of this story into the Sims world.  
You really should check out my companion website to this fic. It has not only background info but you can also take a virtual tour through the academy and look at photos of some of the characters. More will be added as the story developed.  
I made 2 entry pages. If you have a slow computer or one that doesn't allow java applets please use this link

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Feedback is greatly appreciated, constructive criticism is welcome :-)


	2. Part 1

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I would like to thank everybody who reviewed this story. 

Kobayashi Shintaro – Pairings? I'm afraid you will have to wait. Feel free to guess though. :-) And regarding Quatre, you will have to wait as well.

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KT – Thank you. You review every story and every chapter, which really means a lot. Darn, I knew I shouldn't have put those pictures of the duel between Treize and Wufei up yet. You will learn more about Treize's previous apprentice as the story goes on.

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amatorculiHeavyarms, Madisonne – Thanks for the review.

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A very special Thank You to Anne Olsen for Beta-reading. :-)

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Mages of Asmadur 

Part 1

The large dining hall was filled with a jumble of voices and the clinking of silverware and dishes. Wufei let his gaze wander until he found the table where his friends were sitting. Duo waved at him and pointed at the empty chair between Heero and Trowa. The Chinese boy nodded. He picked up a tray and walked over to the buffet. The food was plentiful and scrumptious as usual. Wufei filled his plate with steamed rice, fish and vegetables, and walked over to his friends. 

Duo had already three empty chocolate pudding dishes in front of him and was now curiously eyeing Dorothy's bowl.  
"Don't even think about it, Duo Maxwell!" the blond girl gave him a sharp look.  
"Fine," the braided boy shrugged. "I'm too full to eat another bite anyway."  
"Now there is a first," Heero remarked dryly, and Relena chuckled.

There was a moment of silence before Duo started to recall an event that had happened during potions class the other day. Somebody – Wufei was almost sure he knew who that somebody was- had switched one of the ingredients for a potion Mage J was brewing and the result had been rather "hair-raising". Wufei couldn't help but grin as he remembered the look on their teacher's face, which had been almost more comical than his crazy hairdo. Trowa, Dorothy and Relena who didn't have potions together with the rest of them, and hadn't heard about the incident, laughed out loud.  
"Oh I would have loved to see that." Dorothy grinned. "Why do things like that never happen in our classes?"  
As Wufei pushed his empty plate away and looked up he noticed Lady Une who had just entered the dining hall. The mage, who was not just their charms instructor, but also the headmaster's aid, was walking straight toward their table.  
"Mister Chang, the headmaster would like to see you," she informed him curtly.  
"Right now?" Wufei asked.  
"Yes," Une replied. "He is waiting for you in his office."  
The Chinese boy nodded in acknowledgement as he rose from his chair. He shrugged at his friends' questioning looks. He was just as clueless as they were as to what this was about. 

*****

A few moments later Wufei knocked at the door to the headmaster's office.  
"Please, come in!"  
As he entered the room the boy noticed that the arch mage wasn't alone. In a chair across his desk sat a tall man with ginger-colored hair. Wufei didn't recognize him.

"You wanted to see me, Sir?" he asked.  
"Yes, Wufei," Dermail confirmed. "I would like for you to meet Master mage Treize Khushrenada. Treize, this is Chang Wufei, the boy I told you about."  
"I'm pleased to meet you, Sir," the Chinese said politely, and the mage returned his greeting with a curt nod.  
Treize then turned toward the headmaster. "I assume that the battle room is not being used at the moment. I would like to observe the boy in a duel, if you don't mind."  
"I don't mind at all. Go right ahead." Dermail nodded.

Suddenly Wufei felt a strange, yet familiar tingling sensation spreading through his body, telling him that the master mage had put a teleportation spell on him. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Moments later the boy and Treize materialized on one of the dueling platforms in the battle room.

Wufei swallowed, waiting for the slight feeling of nausea to subside. Having your body's particles scrambled and then put back together was something that took some getting used to.  
"Are you alright?" the master mage asked.  
The boy nodded. "I'm fine. I'm just not used to phasing without a platform."

"Excellent. Let's get started then, shall we? Defend yourself!"  
"What?" Wufei's eyes widened. When Treize had said he wanted to watch Wufei in a duel, the boy didn't expect that it was going to be a duel against the master mage. Until now Wufei had only fought against other students. He had no idea how powerful Treize was and where is strengths lay. But he didn't have much time to worry about that, because Treize's first attack came swiftly.  
Wufei could see a wave of energy racing toward him, but he didn't have time to block it. He barely was able to dodge and avoid part of the hit. Still, the impact knocked the breath out of him for a few seconds. A full blow would have probably thrown him off his feet or even off the platform.  
Wufei glared angrily at the man across the arena. "That was not fair," he accused. "You did not even wait until I was ready."

"I did tell you to defend yourself, did I not?" the master mage replied calmly. "How many warning do you think you will get in a real duel? If you are looking for honor and fairness in battle you will die searching. If you want to survive you need to think on your feet. You have to be ready to defend yourself at any time. Does that make sense to you?"

"Yes, Sir," Wufei pressed through his teeth.   
"Excellent! Are we ready to continue then?"

This time the boy was prepared. The moment he saw a small flame form in the palm of Treize's hand he reacted. He blocked the fire attack with a shield of defense. The invisible screen stopped the flames from reaching him, but Wufei could still feel the heat. Treize followed up with another wave of energy, but this time the boy managed to deflect it. Small beads of sweat formed on Wufei's forehead as he blocked one attack after another.   
"Much better," Treize remarked. "Tell me, who is teaching Battle and Defense Magic these days?"

"Master mage Rashid," the boy panted, while trying to catch his breath.  
"Oh, really? I'm surprised that he hasn't taught you any attack spells yet."  
"What makes you think that he hasn't?" Wufei frowned.  
"Well, so far you have been spending all your energy defending yourself, yet you haven't used a single offensive spell," the master mage replied nonchalantly. "Therefore I assumed you don't **know **how to use them."  
Wufei's frown turned into a scowl. _Then let me convince you otherwise._  
He hurled a bolt of white lightning toward Treize. The mage managed to evade the attack, but almost fell of the platform in doing so. He gazed at Wufei, one eyebrow raised in surprise.  
"Impressive!"  
The boy growled as he repeated his assault, but this time the mage reflected the bolt, sending it back toward Wufei who was barely able to dodge it. The duel went on for a while longer. Wufei hurled spell after spell toward Treize and grew more frustrated by the minute when he realized that his attacks barely scratched the mage.   
For his part Treize seemed to be holding back in his own spells. By the time Wufei realized that the mage was only waiting for him to tire himself out it was already too late. He didn't even have enough power left to defend himself against the next attack. Treize broke through his shield with ease. Long tentacles of sparkling blue energy wrapped themselves around the boy's limbs, rendering him unable to move. For a moment Wufei hovered helplessly in midair, before he was hit by a bolt of white lightening just strong enough to knock him off the platform.  
When Wufei looked up, the ginger-blond mage was standing over him.  
"The match is yours, Sir." the boy said. Although he had known from the start that he had little chance of beating the master mage in the duel, admitting his defeat felt humiliating.   
"As much as I would love to take credit for the victory," Treize replied. "I'm afraid you defeated yourself. You did remarkably well until you became angry. Anger is never a good ally in battle. You might want to think about that, Wufei. And while you are at it, think also about something else. What are you doing here?"

With that the master mage turned and walked away, leaving behind a confused and angry Wufei.

****

*****

When Treize materialized on the phasing platform in his study he still wasn't sure if he had made the right decision. There was a nagging feeling of dread deep within him. _What if I fail again? What if…_  
He shook his head to banish the thought from his mind. No, this time it would be different, very different. Because this time, there would be nothing but a strictly master/apprentice relationship between him and his pupil.

The mage stopped in front of a door and looked up. Without realizing it his feet had carried him to Milliardo's bedchamber. Treize hesitated before he reached for the doorknob. He had not set foot into this room since more than five years. The door squeaked on its hinges as he slowly pushed it open. The air in the room smelled stale and musty. Books and papers were scattered all over a small table. The bed was unmade, just like Milliardo had left it that morning. Everything looked exactly how Treize remembered it. Only now a thick layer of dust covered the furniture, and the potted flowers beneath the window had died a long time ago.   
The mage didn't turn when he sense his servant approach.   
"You are home, Sir," the old man said. "I did not hear you return."  
"Alden, I want you to pack Milliardo's belongings together. Box them up and put them into the attic for the time being."

There was a long moment of silence before Alden answered: "As you wish, Sir."  
"And have somebody clean up this room. A new apprentice will arrive tomorrow."  
"We could easily prepare one of the guestrooms for him, Sir," the old man suggested quietly. "They are just as spacious and comfortable."  
"No, Alden, Arch mage Dermail is right. It's time to move on." Treize turned on his heel and walked away without another look back. "I'll be in my study."

****

*****

"I swear, your bed is so much more comfortable than mine," Duo remarked. The braided boy lay sprawled out on Heero's bed with his head propped on his friend's chest, skimming through the newest issue of the school's paper. "Or maybe," he added wit a grin. "It is because you make such a perfect pillow."  
Heero gave an amused snort, but before he could reply the door flew open and Wufei stormed into the dorm room. Frustration and anger surrounded the Chinese youth like a dark cloud. He shrugged off the black robe that was part of his academy uniform and tossed it carelessly over a chair.  
Heero and Duo exchanged a surprised look.  
"Is everything alright, Wufei?" Heero asked.  
"Arrogant Bastard," Wufei mumbled half loud.  
"Hey, that was uncalled for." Duo glared at him. "There is no reason to call anybody a name just because he asks you how you are."  
"What?" The black-haired youth turned his head and looked at his friends like noticed their presence only now. "Sorry, I wasn't talking about Heero. I was referring to **him**."

"Him?" the other two boys echoed together.

"Treize Khushrenada." Wufei black eyes darkening even more. "Who does he think he is, anyway? He phases me into the battle room, challenges me to a duel, and knocks me around like some kind of a rag doll. Then he asks me what I'm doing here and leaves without another word." He snorted and called the mage a few names in his native language that didn't sound like complements.

Duo and Heero exchanged another gaze. It sounded like the master mage had, intentionally or unintentionally, touched a really sore spot in Wufei. Everybody at the academy knew that the Chinese boy was fiercely competitive.  
"I wonder if Trowa was right," Heero mused. "Maybe he is here looking for an apprentice."

Wufei gave another snort as he started to unbutton his shirt. "If that's the case he surely didn't find what he was looking for in me." He changed into a sleeveless t-shirt and grabbed a clean towel from his locker.   
"I'm going to take a shower and then I'll be in the garden meditating," he told his friends as he turned to leave.  
As he opened the door the boy almost collided with the headmaster.  
"Arch mage Dermail!?" he exclaimed surprised.

"Ah, Wufei, just the person I came to see." Dermail said. "I would like to talk to you. Do you have a moment?"  
"Yes, of course."  
" Let's go to my office, shall we," the headmaster suggested.

*****

"Have a seat, Wufei."  
The boy settled down in the same chair Treize had been sitting in only a few hours earlier. He still had no idea what the headmaster wanted to talk to him about.  
"So, how did things go between you and the master mage?" Dermail asked suddenly.  
Wufei tried hard not to grimace. "If you are talking about the duel, Sir, it went probably just the way he expected it to go."

"Actually, I meant more in general. I'm asking, because Treize has chosen you as his apprentice."  
"Me?"

"Does that surprise you?"

Wufei nodded. "Yes it does, considering that he doesn't even think that I belong here."  
"What gave you that idea?" Dermail frowned.  
"That's what he said."  
"I'm sure you must have misunderstood him, Wufei. Treize told me that he was very impressed with your skills. And he wouldn't say something like that if he didn't mean it."

"I know what I heard," the boy insisted. "I got the impression that the master mage doesn't like me at all. So, if I have a saying in this, I would prefer not to have him as my instructor, Sir."

"It seems like the two of you didn't exactly get off to a good start." The arch mage sighed. "Of course this is your choice as much as his. I would never assign an apprentice to a master he doesn't want to be with. But I'm asking you, don't judge too quickly and don't judge too harsh, Wufei. Take some time to get to know Treize. If in a few weeks you still feel the same way as you feel now I promise that you'll be assigned a different mentor."  
"Thank you, Sir. "Wufei nodded. This seemed fair enough. "When will I be leaving?"  
"Treize will be back tomorrow to pick you up." The headmaster told him.  
As Dermail walked the boy to the door he laid his hand on Wufei's shoulder. "You will be going just fine, Wufei. I have a lot of confidence in you and in Treize. I really couldn't think of a better teacher for you."

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T.B.C.

Author's Note:   
  
Check out my Sims companion website to this fic. It has not only background info but you can also take a virtual tour through the academy and look at photos of some of the characters. More will be added as the story developed.   
I made 2 entry pages. If you have a slow computer or one that doesn't allow java applets please use this link 

  
For java enabled computers use this entry page. The java version is a little cooler IMHO.  


Feedback is greatly appreciated, constructive criticism is welcome :-)


	3. Part 2

**I would like to thank everybody who reviewed this story.** __________________________________________________________________________________________

Mages of Asmadur 

**Part 2**

Arch mage Dermail had called the council together for an unscheduled, but not really unexpected meeting. Every year around this time the mages came together to discuss the academy's newest apprentices. Yet, Dermail realized, that this was not going to be a routine meeting. Word about Treize's return had started to spread, and he knew that there were some members of the council who did not agree with that. Nevertheless, the arch mage didn't expect that he was going to come under attack the very moment he set foot into the council chamber.  
Most of the mages were already sitting around the large table when Dermail walked into the room. Master mage Septm turned toward him at once. The man didn't waste any time with polite greetings but asked: "I've heard that Treize was at the academy yesterday. Rumor has it that he asked you for an apprentice. Is that true?"  
"Yes and no," the arch mage relied calmly.  
Septm frowned. "What exactly is that supposed to mean?"  
"It means: yes, he was at the academy, and no, he didn't ask for an apprentice. **I** was the one who asked **him to take one."  
"You can't be serious," the master mage snapped. "How can you even consider allowing him to train another pupil? Besides, shouldn't that be a decision made by all of us?"  
"That's where you are wrong. As the headmaster of the school ****and the head of this council I have the authority to make such a decision on my own." Dermail clarified as he took his seat at the table. "And I do not have to explain my actions."  
Septm snorted. "Perhaps you don't have to explain yourself to me or the rest of the council," he snarled. "But how do you justify your actions in front of the parents of that Winner boy?"**

"I agree with Master Mage Septm," Quinze remarked. "It's a slap into their faces to allow the man responsible for their son's death to…"

"Excuse me!" Lady Une protested. "You are making it sound like Treize is some sort of cold-blooded killer, if in fact he was the one who tried to save that boy's life by any means."

"Besides," Rashid Kurama added. "The Winner family made it very clear that they never held this school or Treize responsible for their son's death. It was a terrible, but unpredictable accident."

"An accident perhaps," Septm agreed. "But I wouldn't really call it unpredictable. It was an accident waiting to happen. Milliardo should have never been allowed to continue his training after Tubarov was banished. We all knew how strong the bond between a master and apprentice can be and that there was a possibility that Tubarov had manipulated his pupil. And perhaps you might remember that I was the one who warned the council back then about the possible consequences."

"Please remind me, was that before or after it was decided that Milliardo was going to finish his apprenticeship with Treize and not with you?" Une asked acidly.  
Septm threw her an icy look.

Somebody cleared his throat and all heads turned toward Treize who was standing in the door. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

*****

Once Wufei had packed the last of his clothes into the large, leather trunk he checked his desk and the nightstand to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything. He took a look around the room he had been sharing with Heero for the past five years.  
Although he would never admit it, Wufei knew he would miss living at the academy and being around his friends. Until he had come to this school he had never had real friends. The children at home in his village didn't play much with him. Perhaps they were intimidated by his powers which they didn't understand. And even the adults had treated differently, because he was **special.**

Wufei had been born during the dragon festival - the day when his clan honored and worshipped Shenlong, their guardian and protector.  His birth on that special day was a clear sign that he had been chosen by the dragon god himself as the clan's future summoner, the only person who was able to summon and control Shenlong. So, it came as no surprise to anyone in the village that the boy showed magical powers at an early age. The decision that he was going to attend the Academy of Magic was made long before Wufei could remember. Nobody had ever asked him what he **wanted to do, but he had little choice but to accept his faith. In his culture one didn't question the elders' decisions. It just wasn't done.  
When Wufei turned seven years old, a member of the mages council came to the village to test him. Two years later he had begun his training at the academy. Time had passed so quick since then. **

_This is odd_, he thought. _It almost feels like leaving home for a second time.  
_But of course this time it was different. He wasn't really leaving for good. Although he was an apprentice now, he still was a student at this school, and he was coming back here from time to time to take tests. And of course, if the arch mage kept his promise, it was possible that he was going to return in a few weeks. Wufei really couldn't see how he and Treize ever could form a good master/apprentice relationship, but he was willing to give it a try. 

*****

Septm turned toward Dermail. "What is he doing here?"  
"The last time I checked I was still a member of this council," Treize answered instead of the arch mage. "Therefore, I have the same right to be here as you have."  
"Welcome back, Treize." Master Mage Noventa spoke as the ginger-blond man took his seat at the table. "I'm glad that Arch mage Dermail managed to convince you to return."  
"Thank you, Sir."

Septm still glared but didn't say another word. With Dermail, Noventa and several other high-ranking members of the council on Treize's side there was little he could do.  
"I know this is really none of my business," Noventa continued. "But may I ask anyway what you have been doing all this time?"

Treize hesitated for just one moment before he answered: "I have been trying to find Tubarov."  
That simple statement earned him looks of surprise and confusion, and he was almost sure that at least one or two people in the room wondered if he had lost his mind.  
"When I was fighting Milliardo I felt Tubarov's presence several times very clear." Treize explained. Until now he had only told one other person, master mage Rashid, about his suspicion that the dark mage was still around.   
"But that's impossible," master mage Bonaparte remarked. "Nobody has ever returned after being banished." The gray-haired, bearded man couldn't necessarily be regarded as an admirer of Treize Khushrenada. He considered the young and dashing mage far too moderate and unconventional. Treize on the other hand had told Bonaparte once that he was hopelessly stuck in the past, and that he confused upholding traditions with holding on to outdated principles. Anybody who couldn't keep up with the pace of time, Treize had said, was bound to stumble eventually. Although Bonaparte regretted what happened five years go as much as anybody else, he would be lying if he said that it didn't please him to no end, that of all people Treize had been the one who had '**stumbled'.  
"I'm very well aware of that," the young mage agreed. "But I'm not suggesting that he has returned. I'm saying that there is a possibility that our spell failed. Hasn't anybody ever wondered why somebody as powerful as Tubarov put up so remarkably little resistance? It just seemed too easy…"  
"Too easy?" Septm snorted. "If my memory serves me right it took the combined powers of seven mages to banish him. But then of course, you might not consider that difficult at all, since nobody got killed in the process."  
That stung, but Treize still managed to smile as he asked acidly. "And how would you know how difficult it really was. If ****my memory serves me right you were not even present when we performed the spell."  
Septm's face turned bright red, but before he could make a retort master mage J intervened.  
"Are the two of you going to go on like this for much longer? Some of us have more important things to do than listening to childish quarrels. I feel like I have walked into a classroom full of ten-year-olds rather than into a meeting of the supreme mages council."  
"I could not agree more," Dermail nodded. "Fighting and squabbling will not get us anywhere."  
"Treize, have you found any other evidence to back up your theory that Tubarov is still around?" Noventa wanted to know.  
The ginger-blond mage shook his head. "No, at this point I haven't," he had to admit. But the tone in which he delivered these words left no doubt that he wasn't finished looking yet.  
"I think you are chasing after ghosts," master mage Bonaparte said. "It's been more than five years. If Tubarov really would still be in this realm don't you think he would have made his presence known by now?"**

"Not necessarily." G shrugged. "He could be waiting for the right moment. Or for all we know he could be planning something. Five years are not a very long time for somebody looking for revenge. I don't think we should take this lightly." He looked sharply at Treize. "I just would like to know why this wasn't brought up earlier."  
"That was my decision, Sir." Rashid spoke up. "I was afraid word might get out if too many people knew about our suspicions. Instead I ordered my men to keep a close eye on Tubarov's castle and check regularly for any signs that our seal had been broken or tampered with."  
Dermail frowned. "You are not suggesting that the people in this room are not trustworthy, are you?" he asked sternly.  
"No, Sir, of course not."

"The Maganacs have always played a unique role in Asmadur's defense force, and I fully understand that you need certain amount of liberty when it comes to making decisions, Master Mage. But that doesn't give you the authority to completely disregard this council."

Rashid glanced down penitently. "I stand corrected."  
"What's done is done," the arch mage broke the uneasy silence that followed Rashid's admission. "For now it is probably best to continue keeping close watch on Tubarov's castle. If he is still around, that's where he will show up sooner or later, I'm certain." As the other mages nodded in agreement Dermail continued. "Now let's move on to a more pleasant issue, shall we? We have a great group of pupils who will be starting their apprenticeship this year. I don't remember having seen students with such remarkable skills and abilities in a very long time. As most of you already know Master Mage Treize will be taking Chang Wufei as his apprentice. Master Mage Rashid asked me to assign Trowa Barton as his pupil, and Master Mage J mentioned that he was interested in continue the training of Heero Yuy." Each of the men nodded as the arch mage looked at them. "I thought that it might be best if I personally take Dorothy under my wings. I'm sure you agree with me that Relena Darlian should be trained as a healer. I'm planning on assigning her to Sally Po. Relena has been helping out in the infirmary on occasion, so the two of them know each other well. I realize that Sally is still young, but I think she is more than ready for her first apprentice. Which brings me to Mister Maxwell…Lady Une, what would you think about taking Duo into your care?"  
The young woman's eyes went wide in horror. "You can't be serious, Arch Mage. That boy would drive me insane. He has absolutely no discipline."  
It was obvious that Dermail had to fight down a smirk before he replied. "I'm well aware of that, Lady Une. And that's why I have chosen you as his instructor. If anybody can keep Duo in line it's you. Besides you are one of the best spell casters in Asmadur. Duo will need somebody like you to help him reach his full potential."

"Besides," J chortled quietly. "Don't they say you can't teach somebody without learning a little bit yourself? Perhaps both teacher and student would benefit from the arrangement."

"Of course, the choice is yours. Please, think about it and let me know you decide."  
Une nodded.  
"As you can see," Dermail continued. " The students that have been tested already is pretty much covered, but I still need a few instructors for the second group. Anybody who is interested should contact me about it."  
"Actually," G spoke. "I was thinking of taking another apprentice. I know Noin still has one year of training left, but she is an outstanding pupil. And since she is planning on staying here at the academy as an instructor I thought she could only learn from helping me with a new apprentice."  
"I'll consider it." The arch mage nodded. "Well, unless there is anything else I'll close the meeting."

*****

Wufei materialized on a phasing platform in Treize's castle. He gazed around as he stepped of the circular base. The room looked like a mage's study. Shelves stacked with spell books lined the walls. The centerpiece of the room was a velvet-draped table cluttered with books, herbs and all kinds of potions ingredients.  
At about the same moment as Treize appeared on the platform next to him an elderly man with grayish-white hair entered the study.  
"Welcome home, Master Treize," he spoke.  
"Thank you, Alden. I would like you to meet Chang Wufei, my new apprentice." The master mage gestured at the boy, and then turned to Wufei. "Wufei, this is Alden. He takes care of the house."  
Wufei gave the man a friendly nod. "It's nice to meet you."  
"The pleasure is mine."  
"Alden, please show Wufei to his quarters. I'll see the two of you at dinner." With that Treize turned and walked away. Wufei watched as he disappeared into another room.

"Shall we?" Alden gestured invitingly at the wide staircase.

The boy nodded. He followed him upstairs and through a long corridor until they stopped in front of a heavy door.  
"Your bedroom," the servant pointed out as he opened the door for Wufei.  
As the boy stepped into the room he noted that his trunk and his bags had already been brought up. Wufei gazed around. The chamber was larger than the room he had shared with Heero at the academy, and beautifully furnished. The large four-poster bed looked very old, but comfortable. Two nightstands, a dresser and a small writing desk were carved in the same patterns as the bed. Right and left of the fireplace stood two large armchairs. Two stained-glass windows provided a nice view over the garden and cobblestone road leading to the castle.

"I'll leave you then, Master Wufei. If you need anything or have any questions I'm happy to assist you."  
"Thank you, Alden."  
The old man turned once more when he was already at the door the. "Dinner will be at six o clock. Master Treize insists on punctuality."  
The boy nodded in acknowledgement. As the door closed behind the servant Wufei let his gaze wander for a few more moments before he looked down at his luggage. For a moment he wondered if he was even going to stay long enough to warrant the effort of unpacking.

__________________________________________________________________________________________  
  


T.B.C.

Author's Note: 

  
   
Check out my Sims companion website to this fic. It has not only background info but you can also take a virtual tour through the academy and look at photos of some of the characters. More will be added as the story developed.   
I made 2 entry pages. If you have a slow computer or one that doesn't allow java applets please use this link 

  
For java enabled computers use this entry page. The java version is a little cooler IMHO.  
  
  


Feedback is greatly appreciated, constructive criticism is welcome :-)


	4. Part 3

**A very special Thank You to Anne Olsen for Beta-reading. :-)**

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Mages of Asmadur 

**Part 3**

When Wufei came downstairs for breakfast the next morning, he noticed that the table was set only for one. "Master Treize is a morning person," Alden explained, at the boy's questioning look. "He has already eaten and left on an errand." 

"I see." Wufei nodded in acknowledgement, as he sat down. It was all the same to him. 

"Did you sleep well, Master Wufei?" the old man asked politely, as he poured the tea. "You know what they say, don't you? The dreams one has the first night in a new home, are premonitions of the future."

"To tell the truth, I was so tired, I didn't dream at all. And if I did I don't remember," the young apprentice answered. He looked at the abundance of food on the table then back at Alden. "This is much more food than I can eat on my own. Have you had breakfast yet?"

"When you are as old as I am, you don't need much food anymore," Alden replied with a soft smile. "I shall be in the kitchen. If you need anything, just call for me. After breakfast I'll show you the castle."

"Thank you."

As the old man left, Wufei filled his plate with hot pancakes and fruit. While he was eating he wondered what the next weeks would bring for him. 

***

Wufei couldn't help the feeling of awe, as he followed Alden through a maze of hallways and corridors. The castle was enormous to say the least. One could easily get lost in this place. Everything looked very old, yet very elegant and luxurious. The library was almost as large as the one at the academy, the young apprentice noted with satisfaction. And there were enough guest rooms to house the entire Maganac unit. The master mage even had his own dueling room.

_I suppose that shouldn't really surprise me, _Wufei thought_. He fought like he had a lot of practice._

The east wing housed Treize's private quarters. The entire wing, and especially the master mage's personal study were off limit to Wufei, Alden had explained. Not even the servants were allowed to set foot into that room.

"So, Master Treize lives here all by himself?" Wufei asked, as he walked next to Alden down another long corridor.

"For the most part, yes," the old man replied.

Wufei turned his head slightly and gave Alden a questioning look.

"This is a very old castle," the servant explained. "Many generations of mages and sorcerers have lived and died here. Some of those who passed before their time might never have fully left this place."

Wufei couldn't help but smirk.

"I take it you don't believe in specters, Master Wufei?"

"Let's say I have yet to see any proof of their existence," the boy replied politely.

The old man smiled softly, but didn't say anything.

A few moments later they came across a stairway that had been sealed off.

"The stairs lead to the east tower," Alden explained. "There was a fire in the castle years ago. The tower's inner recesses were almost completely destroyed. It is not safe for anybody to climb up there."

Wufei frowned. It seemed odd to him that the master mage hadn't rebuilt the burned out tower. "Why didn't Master Treize repair it? You said the fire happened years ago."

Alden shrugged. "That is a question only he can answer." The old man suddenly cocked his head slightly. "I'm afraid we will have to finish our tour some other time," he announced. "Master Treize has returned, and he is waiting for us."

Wufei's frown deepened. There was something about the old man…something very strange.

*****

"When will you be leaving?" Duo asked his roommate, as he watched Trowa pack some of his belongings into a large trunk. 

"Tomorrow I think," the other boy replied. "Master Mage Rashid left this morning for a short trip. He said that he would pick me up as soon as he returns."

"Are you excited?"

Trowa couldn't hold back a faint smile as he nodded. He would be lying if he said that he hadn't been looking forward to this day for a long time. Since the day he had met Master Mage Rashid, his life had changed dramatically. And over the past five years, the Maganacs had become like a family to him; a family that he never had before. Trowa had worked hard, harder than anybody else perhaps, to be where he was today. He was very well aware that if it hadn't been for the master mage, he would have never been admitted into the academy.

"You are so lucky," Duo flopped onto his bed, rolled onto his back and started at the ceiling. "I wish I had Rashid as a mentor. In fact I wish I had anybody but Lady Une as a mentor."

"Oh come on, Duo." Trowa folded another robe and put it into the trunk before he turned toward his friend. "She is not that bad. Besides, she is the best spells teacher the school has."

"That's easy for you to say. She likes you, but she hates **me**."

"I don't think she hates you."

"Then why do you think she is always nagging about me? Mr. Maxwell, perhaps you think that you already know everything there is about spell casting, but would you at least have the courtesy to let the rest of the class learn in peace?" Duo gave his best imitation of Lady Une. "Mr. Maxwell, when are you finally going to start acting your age?"  
Trowa laughed. "Duo, you have got to admit that you do go out of your way to annoy her at times."

"Hey, you are supposed to be my friend. You should be defending me not her. Whose side are you on anyway?" Duo pouted.

"Come on, Duo, look at the bright side."

"There is a bright side?" The braided boy propped himself up on one elbow and looked at his friend curiously.

Trowa nodded. "At least you will be staying here on campus, together with Heero."

"Hey, you're right," Duo grinned. "I didn't think of that." Both, Lady Une and Master Mage J lived in special housing near the academy, which meant that he and Heero didn't have to move like most of the other students. "Heero and I could even bunk together. I like that idea."  
Trowa grinned, as he continued packing. He rummaged through his desk, and when he came across a notebook he frowned. "Oh darn."

"What's wrong?"  
"I forgot to give Wufei the notebooks back that I borrowed. Well, I suppose I will have to return them next time I see him." The brunet turned toward his friend. "Talking about Wufei… Duo, what do you think about his mentor?"

"Oh, come on, Trowa, not you too." Duo rolled his eyes. "Heero asked me the same thing just a few hours ago. Now he is sitting in the library trying to find out anything he can about Treize Khushrenada."

"So, it's not only me then, who thinks something is wrong?" Trowa replied thoughtfully.

"Think about it, Trowa, if there really was anything wrong with that guy, do you think the council would allow him to take an apprentice?"

"Perhaps, you are right," the brunet agreed. "It's just…somehow I have the feeling that there is something we are not being told. And I would like to find out what it is. Wufei is our friend after all."

There was a long moment of silence before Duo spoke again. "Dorothy," he said suddenly.

"What, where?" Trowa gave his friend a confused look.

Duo chuckled. "No, I mean Dorothy might be **the** person to talk to. Remember she said that the master mage would visit her grandfather's house when she was younger. Perhaps she can tell us a little more about him."

"Good idea," Trowa agreed.

"Or we could ask some of the older students that were here at the academy before us."

"Who do you have in mind? Alex, or Mueller? They wouldn't give us the time of the day, much less a useful answer."

Duo shrugged. "I was thinking of Noin actually. She is seems nice enough."

"Fine. Why don't you do that?" Trowa suggested. "And I'll talk to Rashid and some of the Maganacs."

*****

"Have you ever worked with confinement spells and charms?" Treize asked Wufei while they were sitting down for lunch. The mage had spent most of the morning assessing his new apprentice's abilities and skills.

Wufei nodded. "Yes, Sir." He remembered when Master Mage J had brought kurghats (1) or swamp rats into class one day; nasty, little creatures, not much bigger than a common house cat, but with inch-long claws, sharp fangs and a very short temper. Confining them had not been easy. He had been bitten twice before the day was over.

"Excellent," the mage replied, pleased. "Then you can help me later on. We'll need to prepare a dozen or so confinement charms."

"May I ask what they are for?"

"I have gotten word that a lone dyrewolf (2) has been slaughtering livestock on my land."

"A dyrewolf?" Wufei lowered his fork and looked up in surprise. "I had no idea there were dyrewolves around here."

"My land borders the Western Forest." Treize explained. "I assume that's where they come from. They must have found a rift in the magic field. Perhaps some of the older charms have been damaged or simply wore out over time. That's why we need to replace them as soon as possible. I'd rather not wait until a whole pack makes its way out and attacks a town. "

The boy nodded. That made sense. Dyrewolves had been living in Asmadur since ancient times. Once they had roamed the plains and forests in large numbers. Now they were magically confined only to certain, uninhabited areas of the country like the Great Forests in the north and west and the Kashlana desert. It was the responsibility of Asmadur's master mages to keep it that way, and to protect the people living on their land from the beasts. (3) 

"So", Wufei asked. "What do you need me to do?"

"There are some books in the library that we will need. Alden can help you find them. I'll start preparing the rest of the ingredients in the meantime. But first let's finish our meal, shall we?"

The boy nodded. He picked up his fork again. For a while they ate silently, then Wufei looked up, as he remembered something. "Master Treize, I was wondering if I could go back to the academy later tonight. I loaned some of my notebooks to one of my friends and forgot them when I left."

"But of course," the master mage replied. "This isn't a prison, Wufei, and I am not your keeper. You are welcome to visit your friends whenever you wish. **After** you finished your lessons and your chores that is."

"Chores?" Wufei echoed.

"Yes," Treize confirmed. "Taking care of the garden behind the castle will be one of your duties, while you are here."

The boy nodded in acknowledgement. It seemed an easy enough task.

****

Relena spent the afternoon helping out at the hospital wing. Although, there were never many patients to take care of, Sally Po, the academy's healer, appreciated the help and the company. Relena liked the young woman, who seemed to be always in a good mood.

Earlier the two of them had worked in the herb garden, and now they were sitting in the small kitchen, preparing salves, ointments and other remedies. 

Relena watched, as the young healer crushed some leaves in a mortar. The whole room smelled of herbs, beech root and dried flowers. She liked those aromas, except for lavender, which made her sneeze.

Relena had excellent mental and physical healing abilities for somebody her age. But every time that she watched Sally perform a healing spell, she realized how much she still had to learn. She had been told that she had inherited her magic powers from her parents. Relena cringed mentally. She still found it difficult, to think of anybody else but the people who had raised her as her parents. It wasn't until she was nearly nine years old – just in time to be tested for the academy- that she had learned that she had been adopted, and that she came from a long line of powerful healers. At first all of this had been hard for her to accept. She didn't want to join the academy, and had begged her mother and father not to make her go. But somehow they had managed to convince her to at least give it a try. They promised to come and pick her up if she really didn't like it. Five years later, she was still here.

"Is everything alright?"

Relena looked up, startled from her thoughts. "Excuse me?"

"I was just wondering if everything is alright with you," Sally repeated. "You are so quiet today.

"I was just thinking." The blonde girl smiled. She hesitated for a moment before she asked. "Sally…?"

"Yes?"

"Do you know Master Mage Treize?"

"Well, one would have to live somewhere under a rock not to know that name. The Khushrenada family is one of the oldest magical families in Asmadur after all. His ancestors helped to found this academy." The young woman put down the pestle, and added some more leaves to the paste in the mortar. "Not to forget that he is one of the most powerful mages ever trained at this school."

"And personally? You were a pupil at the academy at the same time as he, weren't you?"

"Not quite," Sally replied. "He is a couple years older than I am, and he graduated early. I was only in my second year, I believe, when he started his apprenticeship. Why do you ask?"

Relena shrugged. "I was just wondering. My parents mentioned the name a time or two when I was younger. I never met him until the other day."

"Oh right! I've heard that he took a new apprentice." Sally said. "Could you get me some willow bark powder?"

The blonde nodded, as she rose and walked to a shelf by the window to pick up the glass jar. "Wufei Chang is his new student. Do you remember him?"

Sally laughed. "How could I **not** remember that stubborn little hothead?"

*****

Wufei raised his hand to cover his eyes as he looked up. The sun was still shining brightly and there was not as much as a single cloud in the sky. The boy grabbed two wooden buckets and walked to the well. He filled his pails with the cold, clear water and carried it into the garden in the back of the castle. The garden was not large; probably no bigger than the herb patch at the academy, but it looked like it hadn't been taken care of for a long time. 

The soil was so dry that it soaked up the water like a giant sponge. Wufei sighed and wiped his forehead with his sleeve before he picked up the buckets again. 

_This is going to take me forever. There has to be an easier way to do this_, he thought, on his fifth trip to the well.

Suddenly a slight grin touched his lips. _Perhaps there is._

He closed his eyes, raised his head and reached out with his mind. He searched the skies, expanding the area more and more until he found what he had been looking for: a small rain cloud, puffy and grey, somewhere over the Ki'larn Mountains.

Wufei's smile grew. A rain cloud was nothing but water in a semi-solid form, really. Water was an element. 

Elements were so much easier to control than living things. Summoning elements was something even he could do. His brows furrowed in concentration, as Wufei mentally manipulated space to change the distance between himself and the mountains. When he opened his eyes a few moments later, he expected to see a single rain cloud overhead, but instead the sky was black. Large thunder clouds hung above the castle, dark and ominous.

Wufei swallowed. _What in Shenlong's name…?_

***

Treize was sitting at his desk, writing, when the room suddenly darkened. The master mage frowned. It was still hours until dusk, and the sun wouldn't set this quickly. As he looked up, and out the window, his jaw dropped slightly. 

The sky that had been bright blue only a short time ago, was now dark, the sun hidden behind thick, black clouds.

"What in the world?" he exclaimed, as he dropped his pen, jumped up and stormed out of the study. By the time he reached the garden it had started to pour. Large drops of rain pounded the ground, and the first flashes of lightning traveled across the sky, followed by the ominous rumbling of thunder.

***

Wufei was stunned to say the least. He had only tried to summon a single rain cloud. How something so simple had turned into this "mess" he had no idea. When he had tried to undo the spell, he realized that he didn't have enough power to control or disperse the cloud cover.

The boy turned his head, as he heard the master mage approach.

"What did you do?" Treize snapped. "Who told you to use magic?"  
"It was only a summoning spell," Wufei tried to defend himself. 

"I only asked you to water the garden. If I wanted to drown my castle in mud, I would have summoned a thunderstorm myself," the master mage scolded.

"I was not trying to drown anything." Wufei glared at the older man. "It just got out of hand. I don't know how…"

"Perhaps you should not be using spells unless you are sure that you can control them. Now, go inside and let me deal with this."

The boy swallowed a reply and turned on his heels. Water and mud splashed under his feet as he stormed through the pouring rain toward the castle.  
_He didn't even listen to me_, he thought indignantly. _He didn't even let me explain…_

By the time he reached his bedchamber it had stopped raining and the storm clouds had started to dissipate. Wufei slipped out of his soaking wet clothes and dropped them into a hamper in the bathroom. He yanked a towel from the holder and dried his hair before he walked back into the bedroom to get re-dressed.   
He was still angry. At Treize for dressing him down like a little child, but also at himself for acting like one.

***

After dispersing the thunderstorm, Treize changed his clothes and went back to his study. Just as he sat down at his desk, somebody knocked at the door. 

"Come in."

The door opened and Alden walked in carrying a tray with dishes. "Tea, Master Treize?" he asked.

"Yes please," the master mage nodded. "Thank you, Alden."

"My pleasure." The old man set down the tray on the desk. "Did you have to be so harsh wit him, Master Treize?"

Treize looked up, surprise in his eyes. "I beg your pardon?"

"I'm talking about the boy. Did you have to get this angry with him? He could not have known what would happen. He is still learning. That's why he is here after all."

"Perhaps the first thing that he needs to learn is to follow orders," Treize replied, a little sharper than he meant to. "I never told him to use magic."

"But you didn't tell him not to use it either," Alden pointed out, as he poured the tea.

Treize snorted. "Your logic can be quite annoying at times. Do you know that, Alden?"  
The old man smirked. He put two lumps of sugar and cream into the mage's cup. "What are you going to do about it? Fire me?"

"It's moments like this, when I almost wish that I could."

"Be careful what you wish for, Master Treize," Alden replied. He left the teapot and sugar on the desk, in case Treize wanted another cup. With the empty tray in hand he walked to the door. But before he left he turned once more toward the mage. "Master Milliardo wasn't very good in following orders either. Yet I do not remember you ever getting angry at him."

"Perhaps I **should** have," Treize replied almost thoughtfully.

"Perhaps you should have," Alden agreed. "But don't punish the boy for mistakes **you** made in the past." With that the old man left, leaving behind a slightly surprised and somewhat exasperated Treize.   
  


*****

Wufei materialized on one of the phasing platforms in the boy's dormitory. He was somewhat surprised that the master mage still had allowed him to visit the academy after what had happened in the afternoon.

Mueller and Alex, two fourth year apprentices, were sitting in the lounge playing cards.

"Hey Chang," Mueller called out. "Already back?"

Wufei ignored him and kept walking. Every school has its bullies and the Academy of Magic was no exception. Usually the two of them chose targets who were less likely to fight back when picked on.

"Hey, we were talking to you." Alex stuck out his leg to block the boy's way. Wufei stopped and glared at him. "What do you want?"

"Did he throw you already out?"  
"What are you talking about?" Wufei asked. He was in no mood to fool around.

"Khushrenada of course," Alex said. "Did he send you packing after less than a day? Well I suppose it was to expect, considering that he only took you as his apprentice to do the headmaster a favor in the first place."

"You are an idiot," Wufei told the older boy. "And just for your information, I'm only here to pick up something. And now take that foot out of my way before I break it."

"My, my, aren't we a little testy today." Mueller laughed. "Let him go, Alex, before he starts crying and we have to blow his nose."  
Alex grinned. He moved his leg but suddenly reached out and run his knuckles over the younger boy's cheek. "Maybe Khushrenada will keep him after all. He has a pretty face, I heard the master mage likes that in his bed warmers, sorry, his apprentices I mean."

Wufei tensed. "Don't ever touch me like that again."

Alex blinked innocently. "Like this you mean?" He reached out once more but before his fingers reached Wufei's face, the boy exploded. His right arm shot out and the palm of his open hand connected with Alex's nose. The older boy cried out in a mixture of fury and pain, and covered his face with both hands. Blood started to drip through his fingers.

"You little bastard," Mueller growled as he jumped up, almost knocking the table over in the process. "I'm going to beat the hell out of you."

"You are welcome to try," Wufei growled, as he took on a defensive posture. 

"Mister Chang, Mister Mueller, what is going on here?"

The two boys froze at the sound of Lady Une's voice. The tall woman looked at them sternly from behind her thin-rimed glasses. Then her eyes fell upon Alex, who was sitting hunched over in his chair, still pressing his hands over his bleeding nose. "What is going on here?" she repeated. Her voice made it clear that she expected an answer, and that she expected it now. 

"We were having some fun," Mueller shrugged. "Alex just made a joke, and this little prick went nuts and punched him."

"Take him to the healer," the master mage told Mueller. "And then I want to see you in my office."

"Yes, Lady Une." Mueller helped his friend to his feet and ushered him toward the hospital wing.

"Mister Chang," Lady Une turned toward the younger boy. "Even if you don't live here anymore, you are still a pupil of this school, and as such you are bound to school rules. After five years you should know that we have strict no fighting policy. I'm afraid I'll have to inform the headmaster and Master Mage Treize about this incident."

Wufei pressed his lips together. _Serves me right_, he thought. _I should know better then let those boys bait me like that. _

__________________________________________________________________________________________

T.B.C.

Author's Note: 

(1) Kurghats – are large, rat-like creatures who live in the swampy regions of Asmadur. They live in large family groups. They are scavengers, but are known to attack and kill smaller animals

(2) Dyrewolves – are one of the largest and most feared predators in Asmadur. They can stand up to 1 1/2 meters at the shoulder and their shaggy grey coats make them look even bigger than they really are. They are not very fast, but stalk and ambush their prey silently. They hunt in mated pairs or small family groups, but in hard winters they will band together and then they will tackle the largest prey or even attack human dwellings.

(3) Like the British Lords in medieval times, the Master Mages in Asmadur are given control over a certain area of land. They are expected to protect the people (especially the non magic inhabitants) living on their land   


Check out my Sims companion website to this fic. It has not only background info but you can also take a virtual tour through the academy and look at photos of some of the characters. I added pictures of Treize's Castle and the place where Rashid and the Maganacs live. Enjoy.

I made 2 entry pages. If you have a slow computer or one that doesn't allow java applets please use this link 

  
For java enabled computers use this entry page. The java version is a little cooler IMHO.  


Feedback is greatly appreciated, constructive criticism is welcome :-)


	5. Part 4

Mages of Asmadur 

**Part 4**

Wufei woke up early, even though it had been after midnight when he finally went to sleep. He had been lying awake for many hours thinking about what Alex had said. It had been a nasty and spiteful remark, intended only to rile him. Nevertheless, it was hard to forget those words. Relationships between two males were not uncommon amongst Asmadur's mages, but an affair between a master and his apprentice was considered highly inappropriate and was generally frowned upon.

Wufei turned his head. Outside the bedroom window the sky was dark, as the moon had nearly set. The boy stifled a yawn, as he climbed out of bed and into the shower. He turned the faucet to cold. The chilly water washed away the last traces of sleepiness. He was shivering, but bright awake when he toweled himself off.

Everything was quiet; everybody else was probably still sleeping, when the young mage slipped quietly out of the castle. He raised his head and looked into the sky. The first streaks of golden light lined the clouds above. A few early birds had woken and started their morning songs. It smelled of sweet flowers and grass. It was a wonderful morning, perfect for meditation.

Wufei settled down under a large tree just outside the castle. From there he could see a small garden. It was a lovely place, beautifully maintained, with a large fountain, sculptures and several stone benches. But what was strange about it was that every rose, every tulip, every flower in the garden was black. Wufei had never seen anything like it before. He made himself a mental note to ask Alden about it, as he closed his eyes and cleared his mind for meditation.

Wufei wasn't sure how long he had been sitting like that. He opened his eyes when he felt the presence of his master. The mage didn't seem to notice him, but headed straight for the garden. He was wearing a white shirt and a pair of dark trousers, but no robe this morning.

From where he was sitting the boy could watch Treize. The mage cut a couple of long stemmed roses and headed back inside without wasting any time. Wufei saw him walk through the front door and moments later his presence completely disappeared. The boy assumed that he had used the phasing platforms in the hall to leave the castle like he did every morning.

It was still early. Alden probably didn't expect him for breakfast for at least another half an hour, and Wufei wasn't hungry yet anyway. He decided instead to get some of his chores done early. He had noticed that, despite of the downpour that he has caused the day before, the herb-garden already looked like it needed watering again.

#####

He was standing by the window, watching the sun rise over the eastern mountains. A soft morning breeze played gently with his long, silvery hair. His tall, lean body was clad in a pair on black trousers and a black mage's robe. The dark colors stood in deep contrast to his pale skin. His face was handsome, with high cheekbones and intense ice-blue eyes. He looked just the way he did five years earlier. He hadn't aged at all.

But he didn't know that. In fact he had no memories of anything that happened before the day he had woken up in this castle. His master had told him that he had bee injured, and that his memories would return in time, but to him it wasn't fast enough. He wanted to know…no he needed to know more than he was being told. Somehow he had the feeling that his master was completely truthful with him.

The young man closed his eyes, as he searched his mind. But there was nothing. It was like his memories were hidden behind a wall; a wall that he just couldn't break down. He gave a frustrated grunt and tried harder.

"Don't push yourself too hard. You know what happens if you do."

The young man spun around, startled. "Master, I didn't hear you approach."

"I'm leaving now," the other man said. "I shall be back tomorrow morning."

"Will you take me with you, Master? You promised you would some day."

"And I shall; but not today. You are not ready for that yet. I will not risk everything I have been working for over the past five years because of your impatience." The heavy fabric of his robe rustled as the man turned on his heels and started to walk away. At the door he stopped, and without even turning his head he added. "You will not leave the castle while I'm gone. Do not defy me again, Milliardo. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Master," the blond replied passively.

#####

By the time Wufei was ready for breakfast the herb-garden was not only watered but also weeded. He had a nice feeling of accomplishment and had also worked up a good appetite.

"There you are, Master Wufei," Alden greeted him as he walked into the dining room. "Master Treize asked for you. He is waiting in his study."

"Thank you, Alden," the young mage nodded. "I'll go and see him right now."

Wufei walked upstairs and to the east wing. A few minutes later he knocked at the door to his master's study.

"Come in."

The boy opened the door and peered into the room. "You wanted to see me, Master?"

"Yes." Treize gestured for him to step closer, but didn't invite him to sit down. "Let me just finish what am doing, then we will talk." He turned back toward his desk.

The room was only dimly lit by a few candles. The windows were covered with heavy curtains. The young mage remembered what Alden had told him about nobody, not even the servants being allowed to enter this study, and he wondered if Treize was hiding something. Guardedly he let his gaze wander. The room was moderately furnished. Several large bookcases lined the walls. Two chairs stood right and left of a large fireplace. Treize's heavy desk was the centerpiece of the room. Wufei's eyes fell upon a picture, standing on the mantel of the fireplace, next to a vase with roses. He was close enough to recognize the master mage and a young man, with long silvery hair. The other man stood behind Treize, with his arms loosely around his master's neck and his head resting on his shoulder. Wufei swallowed.

He almost jumped as Treize closed the heavy, leather-bound book he had been reading with a bang.

"I was talking to Lady Une this morning," his master said as he turned his chair to face Wufei. "I assume you know why she called?"

"Yes, Master."

"Although there is no excuse for your actions I wonder if you can at least give me some kind of explanation."

The young mage shook his head. "As you say, there is no excuse. I made a mistake. I should not have let them bait me and let my anger get the better of me."

"You are correct," Treize agreed, giving Wufei a stern look. "It was a mistake. Now that you are my pupil, your mistakes become also my mistakes. And I don't like to make mistakes."

"I understand." Wufei lowered his gaze. "I'm prepared to accept any punishment you seem fit."

There was a long moment of silence. The young mage could feel his master's gaze upon him, but he didn't look up. "Very well," Treize finally said. "Since it seems as though I can't leave you without supervision, you leave me no choice but to take you with me when I travel to the Western Forest."

Wufei jerked his head up. For a moment he thought he didn't hear right. He had wanted to go, but hadn't dared to ask Treize to take him along on the trip. He had never been anywhere but near the village he had grown up in and at the academy. He had envied Trowa, who always came back with stories to tell after spending time at the Maguanac camp. "You are taking me with you to the Western Forest?"

"Try not to look too excited. This is supposed to be your punishment. And I assure you it won't be a pleasure trip." Treize told him. "You may go now. Have breakfast and meet me in the library afterward. We have to finish those charms and we have some other preparations to make."

Wufei nodded. "Yes, Master."

###

Treize continued to stare at the door even after it has closed behind his apprentice, until a quiet noise of somebody clearing his throat ripped him from his thoughts.

"You are still here?" he asked in a slightly amused tone of voice. "Didn't anybody ever tell you that it isn't polite to listen in on other people's conversations, Lady?"

"You didn't terminate the connection, so I thought you didn't mind." A small orb on the mage's desk started to glow in a bluish light, and then Lady Une's image appeared in it.

Treize turned to face her, a sly smirk on his face. "Oh I did, didn't I? My mistake then, I suppose."

"I hope you know what you are doing, Master Mage."

The mage gave a quiet snort. "What did you **expect** me to do? Chain him up and throw him into the dungeon? He got into a fight. It's not like he committed murder."

"You best don't let Master Mage Barton hear you talk like that." Une told him seriously. "He is already been raising hell about the incident."

"I'm sure he would see things a lot different if his apprentice would have been the victor in the brawl. Don't worry about it, Lady Une. And leave Barton to me, I'll deal with him. As for the boy, he is my apprentice. I will treat him as **I **see it fit."

"And I would never argue with your decision, Master Mage," she assured him. "It's just that there are still people who would like to see you expelled from the magic council. I don't think it is wise for you to make any more enemies right now."

"I'm very well aware of that, Lady." He gave her a soft smile. "And I'm also aware that I have a few very loyal supporters on the council. Thank you for your concern."

She nodded curtly. "I'll leave you then, Master Mage. But there is one more thing I wanted to mention. Wufei is an excellent student, but he is also fiercely competitive. When he gets irritated he sometimes tends to forget his own limitations and pushed himself further than he should."

"Thank you, I'll keep that in mind. Good bye now."

"Good bye." The light in the orb dissipated and Lady Une's image faded away.

#####

"Are you ready?" Rashid asked his new apprentice.

Trowa nodded as he stopped onto the phasing platform. He had been ready for this moment for the past five years. Ever since he joined the academy the Maguanacs had become the closest thing to family he had ever known. Now he only needed to finish his apprenticeship and he would truly become one of them.

The young mage closed his eyes as he felt a familiar tingling sensation spread through his body. When he opened them again he was standing in the entrance hall of the Maguanac compound. Seconds later his master materialized on the platform next to him.

"Will I be staying in my old room?" Trowa asked.

The tall, broad shouldered mage nodded. "I moved your luggage already into your room. Why don't you go, change into something more comfortable. Then find Abdule and the two of you see me in my quarters."

"Yes, Master."   
  
As Trowa walked through the inner courtyard he was greeted by several Maguanacs. He returned their greetings with a smile and asked if they knew where Abdule was.

"Last time I saw him he was in the library," Ahmad told him.

"Thank you." Trowa gave the man a quick wave and hurried to his room. It was the very room he had shared with another young apprentice of Rashid's when he came to visit this place for the first time. _I'm sure Quatre would be proud of me, if he could see me now. He always told me that I could do it, even if I didn't believe it myself._

Trowa changed into a short sleeved shirt and a slighter summer robe before he headed to the library, at the south end of the compound. When he entered the room he found Abdule sitting at one of the larger tables, writing. Abdule was Rashid's second in command and in charge whenever their leader was away. He has also been Trowa's mentor when the boy had been preparing for his entry examine for the academy, and the two of them had become very good friends.

"Hello Abdule," Trowa greeted the man.

The Maguanac looked up and gave him a friendly grin. "Hello Trowa, when did you get here? Does that mean the boss is back too?"

Towa nodded. "We just arrived. Master Rashid wants to see us in his quarters."

"Give me a minute to finish up the report."

"No problem." The young mage took a seat. As he sat there waiting a thought suddenly crossed his mind. "Abdule?" he asked.

"Yes?"

"What really happened to Quatre? Rashid only told me that he had died. But he never mentioned how. Do you know?"

Abdule's usually cheerful face darkened. "I'm sorry, kid, but I can't answer that question. I'm afraid you will have to go and ask the boss or Master Mage Treize."

_Master Mage Treize; there was that name again._ Trowa frowned. _Who was that man, and what did he have to do with Quatre? What would he know about the boy's death?_

#####

"Wufei, do you have any idea why your summoning spell went wrong yesterday?"

The boy looked up, surprised, and shook his head. "No, Master Treize. I have been trying to figure it out, but I have no idea what I did wrong," he admitted.

He and his master were sitting in the library. After finishing making the charms, and Treize had suggested that his apprentice should read up on Dyrewolfs, Rhakhars (1), and other creatures they might encounter on their trip.

"What do you know about Ji'hyl?"

"Um… Ji'hyl, or magic energy, gives us our power."

The master mage nodded. "That's right. It's what makes us mages different from normal human beings, and allows us to use magic. It's in our blood; we are born with it and it is passed down from generation to generation.  
We use it every time we use magic. But we don't have an infinite amount of it, that's why using too much magic can lead to exhaustion. When we are born we have simply enough magic energy to sustain us, and unless we train and increase our magic skills that will never change. It can give us great power, but since we just can't live without it, it can also be a weakness. It's all a simple matter of finding the right balance and knowing your own limitations."

Wufei nodded. He knew most of that already. It was one of the first lessons every student was taught when entering the academy.

"And did you know that magic energy can also be found in nature? In fact Asmadur has several so called "hot spots" where great quantities of it can be found. One of those spots is right here. My ancestors chose the location for this castle carefully. A mage's powers will be amplified by the magic energy that surrounds him."

Wufei's eyes grew large in amazement. No, he didn't know that before. "So, that's why my spell backfired?"

Treize smirked softly. "Yes. You didn't do anything wrong, your just used a little more magic than you could handle."

"But I didn't notice any difference while we were making charms." The boy frowned.

"Because we were inside," his master explained. "The castle is, you could say, insulated. I suppose my ancestors figured that it would be annoying with something like your thunderstorm accident would keep happening. Keep this in mind, and be more careful when you use magic outside the castle. The next time it could cause more damage than just a simple thunderstorm."

"I'll remember that, Master." Wufei nodded. "But you said there are other "hot spots" in Asmadur. Do you know where they are?"

"Well, one of the largest ones is located in the east of the Kashlana desert."

"Is that why the Maguanacs base is located there?"

Treize nodded. "Yes, that's right."

"I have always wondered why somebody would build such a large compound in the middle of the desert. But it makes sense now."

There was a moment of silence as Treize turned his attention back toward the book he was reading. Wufei wondered if he should take the opportunity to ask the mage about something that was bothering him.

"Master Treize, may I ask you a question?"

"Yes," the master mage looked up at the boy.

Wufei hesitated for a moment before he said. "Yesterday, while I was at the academy, one of the older pupils told me that you didn't want me as your apprentice. He said Master Mage Dermail persuaded you to take me. Is it true?"

Treize's continued to gaze at Wufei, but didn't answer right away.

"You don't have to lie…"

"I didn't want to take any apprentice, period," the mage finally said. "I assure you, Wufei, that it had absolutely nothing to do with you personally."

"May I ask why?"

There was another moment of silence before the master mage answered evasively. "I didn't think I was ready to deal with the responsibility."

Wufei frowned slightly, but didn't say anything.

* * *

T.B.C.

Author's Note:

(1) Rhakhars – feline predators that are about the size of a Leopard or Jaguar, but appear bigger due to their shaggy fur, Rhakhars are solitary animals that only pair up during mating season, their powerful jaws allow them to crush even bones, Rhakhars kill by piercing their prey's skull

Check out my Sims companion website to this fic. It has not only background info but you can also take a virtual tour through the academy and look at photos of some of the characters. More will be added as the story developed.   
I made 2 entry pages. If you have a slow computer or one that doesn't allow java applets please use this linkFor java enabled computers use this entry page. The java version is a little cooler IMHO.

Feedback is greatly appreciated, constructive criticism is welcome :-)


	6. Part 5

**Thank you to everybody who reviewed this story**

Mages of Asmadur 

**Part 5**

It was hours before sunrise when master and apprentice left the castle the next morning, carrying the charms they had prepared as well as enough food to sustain them for several days. An inn in a small village about ten miles south of the Western Forest was as far as they could phase. From there Treize teleported them closer to the edge of the forest. By the time dawn finally broke the two mages had already covered several miles and replaced a couple of charms. A few hours later the sun was burning down on them, and Wufei was grateful when the master mage suggested moving deeper into the woods to find relief from the heat.

"Be mindful," Treize urged his young apprentice as they passed the magic barrier, "and don't let your guard down for even a moment. You'll never know what we might come across."

Wufei nodded in acknowledgement as he let his gaze wander. The trees around them were old and tall; their large crowns filtered out most of the sunlight, making it cool and comfortable even during the hottest hours of the day. The forest floor was covered with soft moss and thick brush. Birds were singing and chirping all around them, creating an atmosphere of tranquility. This place reminded him very much of the woods that surrounded his village, and for the first time in a long time the young mage felt a jolt of homesickness.

"Are you alright?" Treize wanted to know.

"I'm fine," Wufei assured him. "I was just thinking of something."

"Thinking?" the older man echoed.

"About the times when I used to accompany our summoner to the Shenlong temple, to bring offering to the dragon god. He was an old and wise man who had many stories to tell. I liked listening to him while we traveled."

"Sorry, I'm not much of a story teller, I'm afraid," his master laughed.

"That's not what I meant." Wufei felt himself blush.

For a while they walked quietly, then Treize suddenly asked. "Wufei, do you believe you have what it takes to become the next summoner?"

"What?" The question caught the young mage off guard. His eyes narrowed. _Is he questioning my abilities, again? _"If you think that I'm not suited why did you select me to be your apprentice?"

"Why are you trying to avoid my question by answering it with another question?"

Wufei's frown turned into a scowl. "I'm not trying to avoid anything. If you look at my academy records I think you will find your answer. You will find that I'm more than qualified…"

"Then why do I sense such doubt in your heart?" the master mage asked calmly.

"What?" Wufei's eyes went wide. _How does he know? How is it possible…? _"I… I don't know what you are talking about."

"You mean you have no doubts about becoming your clan's new summoner?"

"Of course not."

"In that case, I apologize. Perhaps I was simply reading you wrong because I don't know you well enough yet."

"Maybe." The young mage confirmed quietly, unable to look his master in the eye. He was grateful that Treize didn't pursue the subject any further.

* * *

"Master!" Milliardo didn't really expect an answer when he knocked at the door to the study. He was pretty sure that the master had not returned yet, but he figured it was better to be safe than sorry. There was no reply; still he waited another moment, reaching out with his mind. Only when he was sure that he could not sense any life form from behind the heavy oak door, he opened it slowly and cautiously stepped over the threshold. He had never before set foot into the study, but he had always been wondering about what the master was doing in here, alone for hours and hours.

The blond mage looked around curiously. He walked over to one of the large bookshelf and ran his fingertips over the dusty spines of the thick, leather-bound books. Perhaps this room held the answers he was looking for; answers to who he really was and how he got here. Right now he wasn't even sure where 'here' was, because he wasn't allowed to leave this place, and had seen nothing but the inside of the castle and parts of the inner courtyard since he had woken.

He wanted to know about his past, and the story behind a reoccurring nightmare he was having. It was a strange dream, almost like an out-of-body experience, in which he watched himself duel with another mage, a tall young man with reddish-blond hair. The nightmares had only started recently, but they became more vivid every night. The strangest thing however was that he, while he was watching the fight, felt more concern for the other mage then for his own well being.

Milliardo hadn't told the master about his dream yet. He wasn't sure if he wanted the old mage to know about it. But he couldn't help but wonder who that man in his dreams was and why were they fighting? Was that nightmare only a product of his imagination, a vision of something that was going to occur in the future, or perhaps a memory of something that already had happened in the past?

_I wish I knew…_ The blond mage sighed as he pulled out one of the books. _Since **he** isn't willing to tell me anything, I'll just have to find out for myself, I suppose.

* * *

_

It was around noontime when the two mages reached a clearing near a small crystal-clear stream, and Treize decided that it was a good place to rest and eat.

Wufei set down his bag and started to unpack some of the food they had brought along. He wasn't sure if it was a noise that alerted him or the sense of another being nearby, but when he turned his head he saw a large, shaggy feline stare back at him from the underbrush.

"Master," the young mage exclaimed, alarm in his voice.

"I know," the older man replied calmly. "I have sensed her tracking us for a good while. But I'm surprised really, that she is showing herself. She is usually very weary of strangers."

Wufei frowned. "You know the beast?"

"I sure do." Treize nodded. "After all, I raised her," he explained as though it was the most natural thing in the world. "I found her as a cub near her dead mother's body. She was too young to fend for herself, and I didn't have the heart to kill her."

The youth watched with amazement as the cat gracefully approached the master mage, rubbing its head against the man's legs like one would expect a housecat to do.

Wufei had never seen a real life rhakhar before. He only knew them from pictures and from stories told by the village elders, back when he was a child. "May I touch her?" he asked quietly.

Treize nodded. "But don't approach her. Call her and let her come to you. Her name is Shila."

"Understood." The young mage extended his hand but didn't move as he called the feline's name. She turned her head and looked at him for a moment, then approached slowly. Amber eyes watched him guardedly, and Wufei froze, almost afraid to breathe when the cat pressed her wet nose against his hand.

"It's alright now, you can touch her now." Treize told him.

When he reached out to pet the animal the youth was surprised how soft and velvet-like her fur was.

"I thought it was against the law to keep rhakhars and other wild beasts as pets." Wufei looked at his master questioningly while he scratched the cat between her ears, eliciting a deep satisfied purr from the animal.

"That's true," Treize confirmed. "However, I assure you, she is no pet. Don't be fooled by the way she is acting right now. She is very much the wild beast she was born to be. Cross her path on a bad day and she might rip you to pieces without hesitation."

Wufei swallowed as he glanced warily at the cat who was still purring contentedly. "Still, I'm surprised the council allowed you to take her in."

"Well," Treize admitted with a nonchalant shrug. "They didn't exactly allow **nor **deny it. I think I might have just 'forgotten' to tell them about it."

_Forgotten?_ The young apprentice snorted inwardly. _So, he isn't above bending the rules in his favor if he sees it fit,_ he thought. _That's interesting to know.

* * *

_

After flipping through the pages of yet another spell book, Milliardo sighed as he set it back into its place on the shelf. As fascinating as these books and scrolls were, they didn't seem to hold any of the answers he was looking for. But there had to be some clue… somewhere….

The blond eyed the mahogany desk thoughtfully for a few moments before stepping closer. He tried opening the top drawer, surprised when he found that it was neither locked nor otherwise protected. His lips curved into a satisfied smile when his eyes fell upon a thick leather-bound journal. _Bulls-eye! Why didn't I think of this earlier?_

Milliardo reached out to pick it up. But the moment his fingertips touched the book sparks of magic energy hit him, sending a painful jolt through his body. He cursed and quickly pulled back his hand. _Protection spell; I should have know._

The young mage wasn't foolish enough to try breaking the spell. If he had learned anything in those past few weeks, it was that the master was as short tempered and unforgiving as he was powerful. A cold shiver ran down his spine as Milliardo remembered the time when the old mage had found him outside in the garden, after specifically telling him not to leave the castle. The man's warning still rang in his ears. **_I have given your life, and I can just as easily take it away, Milliardo. Don't you even forget that! _**

As he moved away from the desk Milliardo's gaze fell upon a large wall carpet hanging between two heavy bookshelves, and it instantly struck him as an odd place to hang a tapestry. He stepped closer and lifted one corner of the carpet. Somehow it didn't really surprise him when he found a doorway hidden behind the heavy fabric. He hesitated before reaching for the door-knob, shaped in the form of a roaring lion's head. The door opened easily and without a noise. Beyond the entrance lay a long flight of stairs leading into darkness. Milliardo extended his right arm as he cast an illumination spell. Moments later, a small blue flame appeared in the palm of his hand.

The blond mage paused before setting foot onto the steps. He was well aware that if the master came home unexpectedly and found him in here he was going to be in a heap of trouble. After a short moment of hesitation, however, curiosity won over caution, and he slowly climbed down the old staircase, wondering what he might find at the bottom.

He had only taken a few steps when he suddenly sensed another life form. It was very faint but unmistakably. Milliardo stopped, and swallowed hard. There was definitely something down there in the darkness, and whatever it was, it was alive and breathing.

* * *

T.B.C.

Author's Note: Well, what a surprise my 'Mages of Asmadur Muses' seem to have returned.  
Oh btw, I recently also posted a short One Shot set in the "Loveless' fandom as well as the first chapter of a Kyou Kara Maou fanfiction story. If you have not already done though, please feel free to check them out.


	7. Part 6

**Thank you to everybody who reviewed this story

* * *

**

Mages of Asmadur 

**Part 6**

Dorothy and Relena were two of the few pupils still remaining at the academy's dormitory. Most of the younger students had left for the summer and many of their 5th year classmates had already gone to begin their apprenticeships. New students wouldn't arrive for another two or three weeks, so this was a period of relative peace and quiet at this usually somewhat chaotic place.

The two girls were sitting in the upstairs launch area over a game of cards when Duo Maxwell and Heero Yuy approached them.

"Hey, Dorothy, you've got some time? We need to ask you something."

She looked up, eying the braided youth suspiciously. "What do you want, Maxwell? If you are looking for somebody to take over your cleaning duties, you'd better think again."

"No, it's not that," Heero replied instead of his friend. "We were just wondering if you could tell is a little about Treize Khushrenada?"

"Treize Khushrenada?" the blonde girl echoed. "What about him?"

"Well…" Duo flopped into one of the soft lather armchairs. "Since you said that he used to come to visit your grandfather, the arch mage, we thought you might know a few more things about him than the rest of us."

"Like what exactly?" Dorothy gazed from Duo to Heero and back to the long-haired teen.

"Like what happened to his last apprentice." Heero nudged Duo's shoulder, gesturing for his friend to move over, and settled down next to him in the chair.

"Huh?" Dorothy gave the two boys a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"For some reason, Heero and Trowa both think that there is something the master mage is trying to hide," Duo explained.

"So I have been doing some research, and I discovered that Khushrenada had an apprentice five years ago, but he died. Actually a second student died that year as well and I believe the two incidents are related, but I can't find anything anywhere about what happened to them. However, shortly after that Khushrenada quit his teaching position and hasn't been seen much at the academy until recently."

"Hmm…I **do** remember hearing something about that." Dorothy confirmed after Heero had finished. "I think it had something to do with that mage that turned dark, what was his name again?"

"Tubarov you mean?" Relena helped out.

"Yes…yes him. One of the two students who died used to be Tubarov's apprentice. But I don't know much more that that. Why do you care anyway? It's been five years ago; we weren't even at the academy then."

"That's true," Heero confirmed. "But my concern is for Wufei. I wouldn't want him to end up like his predecessor. Is there anything else you can tell us, anything that might help us to find more answers?"

"Hmm…Let me think. One of the boys who died, his name was Winner… Quatre Winner if I remember right, was about our age. The older was a 3rd or 4th year apprentice I believe. His name was… um…Peacecraft?"

Heero nodded. "Milliardo Peacecraft. I got the name from the old Academy records. He…"

"Did you say Peacecraft?" Relena asked, her voice trembling. "Are you sure about that name?"

The brunet youth gave another nod. "Yes, why?"

"Relena, are you alright?" Dorothy frowned as she looked at her friends pale face. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," the other girl assured her. "I just…I don't feel so good. I think I'll go and see Doctor Po. I'll catch you guys later." She jumped up, almost knocking the card table over in the process, and rushed down the corridor toward the stairway.

"What the heck was that about?" Duo exclaimed in bewilderment as he watched her disappear around the corner.

"I have no idea, but it was very weird, even for Relena." Dorothy replied. "I think I'll check on her in a little bit."

* * *

By the time Milliardo reached the bottom of the stairs he clearly could feel the presence of another being; but its life-force seemed still weak.

The young mage cast another illumination spell, igniting a number of torches and candles in the dark windowless chamber. Once his eyes had adjusted to the light he turned to let his gaze wander, and gasped as he eyes fell upon a person lying on its back on what looked like an examination table. On guard and ready to defend himself if needed, Milliardo approached the motionless figure slowly.

It was a boy in his mid teens, fifteen or sixteen years old perhaps. The light of the flickering torches reflected in his golden-blond hair and cast shadows over his peaceful features. He looked as though he was just sleeping, but his heartbeat was slow and his life-force weaker than one would expect even from a sleeping person.

The blond mage could not stop himself from reaching out and touching those pale cheeks. The skin was cold and somewhat clammy but the moment Milliardo's fingertips touched him his eyelids began to flutter.

Milliardo gasped in astonishment and instinctively took a step back, as he watched the boy awake. A pair of sapphire blue eyes opened slowly, blinked a few times and started to gaze around before finally focusing on the blond mage.

"Who… who are… you?" the boy's voice was shaky and hoarse from lack of use. "Where …am I?"

_He is just like me_. Milliardo still remembered how disoriented and confused he was when he first woke, and he instantly felt sympathy for the strange boy. "My name is Milliardo," he replied with a soft smile. "But I'm afraid I can't tell you much more. I'm not sure myself where we are. What about you; do you remember your name?"

"My name…I don't know. I can't remember anything." There was a hint of panic in the boy's voice. He tried to sit up, but Milliardo stopped him, pushing him back down with gentle force.

"Don't, you are still too weak to get up. Rest while I'll go and get your something to drink. You must be thirsty. Don't worry, I'll be right back." With a reassuring nod the blond mage started to leave. At the foot of the stairs he paused for just one moment to look back at the youth. _So, it's true, we really are the same. _

Taking two steps at once, Milliardo ran up the dark staircase, and almost collided with another person as he reached the top. The young man swallowed, as the blood drained from his face. "Master!"

* * *

"I think we found it. This seems to be the spot where the magic barrier was broken." Treize suddenly announced after the two mages had been walking for what seemed forever. The air was starting to cool off, a sign that the sun was going to set soon. Shila, after hanging around for most of the afternoon had taken off only a short while earlier.

Wufei nodded. Even he could feel the breach in the magical force field that surrounded the forest. "It feels like somebody tried to fix it already."

"Well observed," the master mage commended. "Whoever broke the barrier put up a new charm afterward, but it is not nearly as powerful as it needs to be."

"Whoever broke the barrier? Are you saying this was the work of humans?" the young apprentice frowned. "Who would be foolish enough to enter the forest on their own free will?"

"Poachers."

"Poacher?" Wufei echoed.

"Yes, Direwolf and Rhakhar parts fetch good money on the black market, because of the myth that they have healing powers. It's unfortunate but there are still people who believe in such outdated superstitions."

"Right," Wufei agreed grimly. "We are dealing with the same problems at home. Dragons are still being hunted, and those that are killed today have not even reached maturity. At this rate they will become extinct no matter how hard we try to protect them. All for a few scales or fangs. Those people have no honor."

"I agree," his master nodded, as he removed one of their charms from the bag he was carrying. "Even though the animals are protected, there will always be those who care more about money than the law. And they are becoming more resourceful too. Poachers are rarely working alone anymore, and they have at least one or two magic users in their group. This seems to be the case here as well. Whoever disabled the barrier knew what he was doing. We will replace the charm, but there is no guarantee that they won't return."

"Then, what are we going to do about it?"

"**We** will do nothing. It's too dangerous. The penalties for poaching are high and those people have little to loose. Getting themselves caught is simply not an option for many of them," Treize told his apprentice. "I'll contact the Maganacs once we get back to the castle, and let them deal with the situation."

"What about Shila?" Wufei wondered. "Will she be alright?"

The older man gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about her. She is smart enough to stay away from humans. She will probably back later, once she has taken care of her own needs. Dusk is the time when most of the predators hunt. – Now let's finish up here, shall we? Help me set up the new charm."

"Speaking of which, now that we know this is the spot where the barrier was broken, do we have to go any further?"

"Yes, there might be other charms that need replacing. But we did make good work today. If all goes well we should be finished by mid-day tomorrow. Just south of here is a small lake where we will spend the night. It will be too dangerous to go any further once night falls."

* * *

"Relena?" Heero was surprised to find his classmate sitting by herself in the garden. Didn't she say earlier that she wasn't feeling well and was going to the infirmary? "Relena, are you alright?"

"Heero! I'm fine, thanks, don't worry about it."

"Are you sure?" The youth shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. He was not very good in this kind of situations. "You looked upset when you left earlier." _You still look upset._

"It's just…Remember when you were talking about Treize Khushrenada's pupil; you said his name was Milliardo Peacecraft."

"Yes," Heero nodded as he settled down on the bench beside here.

"I… um…Peacecraft was the name of my birthparents. I just spoke to my mother and… Milliardo was my brother."

"What?"

"Yes, I had a brother and didn't even know about it. He was already dead by the time my parents told me that I was adopted and they figured that there was no reason to tell me about Milliardo and upset me even more."

Relena sniffled and Heero felt even more uneasy. Unsure about what to do or to say he simply whispered. "I'm sorry."

"Thank you." She wiped her eyes and put on a brave smile. "Look at me; how silly I am. I didn't even know him; didn't even know of him and here I sit crying like I've lost a dear friend."

"I don't think that's silly. It just shows that you are very sensitive."

"Thanks Heero. Talking to you really made me feel better. I think I'll go inside now."

"Do you want me to walk you back to your room?" he wanted to know.

"No thank you. I appreciate the offer, but I'd rather be alone." With that she rose.

Heero watched her walk back to the dormitory. He wished there was something else he could have done for her, something he could have said to make her feel better, but he wasn't exactly an expert when it came to offering solace. After contemplating for a few moments if he should do some more research at the library or go back to the room that he now shared with Duo, he headed toward the dormitory as well. Just outside the garden the young mage ran into Dorothy.

"Yuy," the blond girl glared at her classmate. "What did you do to make Relena cry?"

"I didn't do anything." He replied calmly.

"Then why was she crying right now?"

"You'll have to ask her, not me about that." Heero shrugged as he turned away. After all, it was not his place to tell. If Relena wanted her friend to know what she just confided in him, she would tell her herself.

* * *

"What were you doing down there?" The master's voice was laced with fury. "Did I not tell you, repeatedly, to keep out of this part of the castle?

A quick sparkle in the old mage's eyes was all the warning Milliardo got before he was hit by a powerful wave of magic energy. He barely had time to raise a protective barrier to break his fall as he tumbled down the stairs. The impact still knocked the wind out of him, paralyzing him temporarily. Before he was able to get back on his feet the other mage attacked again. He was thrown backward like a rag doll and crashed against the wall. A powerful, invisible hand grabbed him around his neck and lifted him up until he was dangling a few inches over the ground.

Milliardo struggled, trying to break free from the iron grip, but his own powers were no match to this kind of magic. The invisible fingers around his throat tightened as the master stepped into his line of view.

"What does it take for you to obey me? Are you really **that** foolish or just stubborn."

Milliardo couldn't breathe, darkness tickled at the corner of his eyes and his vision was starting to become hazy. Just when he thought that this time he was going to be killed for sure, he was dropped to the floor.

"I think I'll have to teach you a lesson that even you will understand."

"No! Stop it; you are going to kill him!"

The old mage paused in mid-motion and turned his head. He seemed to realize only now that they were being watched. For a moment his eyes darkened even more. "You woke him, you brainless fool."

"I wasn't trying to," Milliardo defended himself as he scrambled back to his feet, wiping a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth. And it was true; he still wasn't even sure what he had done.

The master gave the blond mage one last glare before moving toward the boy. "What's done is done. It can't be helped. Get over her, Milliardo!" he ordered. "Take him upstairs and prepare a room for him to stay in. He will be your responsibility from how on."

"Who… who are you?" the boy asked.

"My name is Tubarov, but you will call me Master."

* * *

_Just south of here he says,_ Wufei huffed quietly. _How long have we been walking, two miles, three? The sun is already setting. Doesn't he ever get tired?_

He threw a look back over his shoulder at his master and suddenly stepped into something wet. As he gazed down at his feet the young mage grimaced. The puddle he had stepped into was blood. It had pooled from a large carcass lying only a few feet away. "Looks like you were right, Master, about Shila being out hunting. I think I just stumbled over her supper."

"Where?" Treize used a spell to illuminate the spot Wufei was pointing at and instantly frowned. "That's a fully grown Dire wolf. Shila wouldn't attack anything that large. Besides, look at that, somebody cut off its paws. That's human handiwork," the master mage pressed through his teeth, his voice laced with disgust. "It's still warm. Let's get out of here, before…" He swallowed the rest of the sentence when he realized that it was already too late.

Now Wufei felt it too. There were four, no five people; and just as the master had suspected at least one of them had to be a magic user. They couldn't have concealed their present till now without using magic. He could feel them, but he couldn't see them yet. They had to be hiding somewhere in the brush.

"Wufei," Treize ordered. "Stay by my side, and no matter what happens make sure that we are not separated."

Before Wufei could even reply he suddenly saw a flash of energy hurling straight toward him. He froze for a split second, then instinctively ducked, but the wave never reached him because it was blocked by a protective barrier that Treize had raised around him at the last moment.

"What are you doing?" the master mage snapped. "This is not the time to dream. Protect yourself!"

"Yes Master."

Treize didn't expect that there would be more than one magic user amongst the poachers, so it caught him off guard when they were suddenly assaulted from two sides. He was still keeping the protective barrier up around Wufei, leaving himself open to attack. When one of their attackers hurled a bolt of white lightening at him it hit the master mage in the chest throwing him backward and knocking him off his feet.

Wufei gasped, clasping his own chest. _Impossible… The pain he just felt… It_ _couldn't be…_

"Master, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, don't worry about me." As Treize jumped back on his feet he noticed from the corner of his eyes how one of the poachers aimed his crossbow at his apprentice. "Watch out, Wufei; to your left," he warned even as he spun around hurling a bolt of energy at the man. White lightening was not the most powerful of attacks but he couldn't risk using fire spells here in the forest.

Wufei's head jerked around. He saw the poacher just as the man fired his bow. He knew that the master's barrier that had protecting him till now was gone, but he couldn't raise his own shield of defense fast enough. Still he somehow managed to dodge the dart at the last moment and the projectile only grazed his shoulder.

"Wufei!"

"I'm fine; it's only a scratch," he tried to assure Treize, but the words had barely left his lips when the young mage was overcome by dizziness. His knees gave away and he collapsed, as his mind plunged into the bottomless pit of unconsciousness.

* * *

T.B.C.

Author's Note:

Check out my Sims companion website to this fic. It has not only background info but you can also take a virtual tour through the academy and look at photos of some of the characters. More will be added as the story developed.  
I made 2 entry pages. If you have a slow computer or one that doesn't allow java applets please use this link

http/ java enabled computers use this entry page. The java version is a little cooler IMHO.  
http/ is greatly appreciated, constructive criticism is welcome :-)


	8. Part 7

**Thank you to everybody who reviewed this story

* * *

**

**Mages of Asmadur**

**Part 7**

"Mr. Chang…Wufei!

It took a while until Wufei's mind registered that somebody was calling his name. When he opened his eyes he was lying on one of the beds in the hospital wing. Sally Po, the academy's healer stood over him, a gentle smile on her face. Her hand felt cool and soothing against his heated forehead. Her smile widened a little as she noticed that he was awake.

For a moment Wufei thought he was still dreaming. Shouldn't he be at the Western Forest together with Master Treize? The last thing he remembered was being attacked by poachers. He had been grazed by a dart and then everything went black. "Did I pass out? How did I get here?" he wondered.

"Pass out? You nearly died." The healer's voice was soft but underlined with concern. "Mister Chang, you were extremely lucky, not many people survive a Poxweed poisoning."

"Poxweed poisoning?" Wufei asked confused. He had heard the term before, during herb studies. Poxweed was a plant whose blossoms could be used to make a very potent and fast working nerve poison.

"Yes, you were struck by a poisoned arrow. If it had not been for your master's quick actions you would have been beyond help within minutes."

"Master Treize! Where is he?" Wufei tried to sit up, but Sally Po held him back.

"Relax Wufei, I'm here." His master's voice reached him from the left, and when he turned his head the youth found Treize standing by the door.

"Master Mage," Dr Po exclaimed in a mixture of surprise and admonishment. "You should not be on your feet yet. Teleporting two people over such a distance is a difficult task even for someone as powerful as you are. Your energy levels were dangerously low when you got here. You shouldn't take that lightly."

Treize flashed the young woman one of his most charming smiles. "I assure you, I feel fine. I'll rest after I return home. But before I leave I'd like to have a few words with my apprentice, if you don't mind."

"I suppose I can't stop you, but if you are leaving you are doing so against my advice."

"Your concern has been noted, doctor." His smile turned into a smirk. "And if I should fall onto my nose I won't hold it against you if you say 'I told you so'."

Sally Po laughed even as she shook her head. "I'd rather not see that happening. But very well, you have ten minutes; Mister Chang needs his rest as well."

The master mage nodded in acknowledgement. "Thank you."

As the healer left the room to give them some privacy, Treize pulled a chair next to Wufei's bed and sat down.

"How do you feel?"

"Weak," the young mage admitted.

"I'm not surprised. Your body had been through a lot over the past few hours."

"I'm sorry." Wufei apologized, voice barely above a whisper. "I have messed up again, haven't I?"

"No," his master shook his head. "You have nothing to be sorry about. If anybody is to blame, it's me. I should have known the risk. We should never have gone any further once we discovered the reason behind the breach in the magic field. It was a serious error in judgment on my part."

"But if I'd just been able to protect myself... I don't know what happened. I have dueled many times during Battle and Defense Magic class and I should be able to raise a shield of defense within seconds. I just choked. Master Rashid would be ashamed if he would have seen me."

"Nonsense." Treize's voice was firm but not harsh. "You are being too hard on yourself. Master Mage Rashid would be the first to tell you that there is a big difference between a mock duel and a real life battle. You should not blame yourself for what happened."

"But neither should you, Master."

Treize raised one eyebrow in surprise.

"Dr. Po told me that you saved my life. I didn't even thank you yet."

The master mage made a dismissive gesture. "It was simply a matter of knowing what to do in the situation."

"Nevertheless, I'm grateful." _He is so modest. From what Dr. Po told me it was anything but simple. He exhausted his own powers in order to save me. I think I'm slowly starting to understand why the Arch Mage Dermail wanted me to get to know him better before judging him. _

"Well, I'd better take my leave now." Treize announced as he rose from his chair. "Dr Po is right, you do need to rest. I'll be back tomorrow. Is there anything I can bring you?"

"Perhaps the book I was reading. It's lying on the nightstand next to my bed, and my glasses."

"Very well." His master nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

* * *

"Wufei, are you sleeping?"

"What a silly question is that, Maxwell. If I was sleeping, how could I answer you?" Wufei grumbled.

Since there were only few patients at the hospital wing, he was the only one occupying this four bed room. He was grateful for it too, because it allowed him to reflect on everything that had happened of late.

Duo grinned from ear to ear as he stepped into the room followed by Heero Yuy. "Yep, he is definitely feeling better. He is just as grouchy as usually."

He walked over to the bed Wufei was lying in and set a ribbon wrapped box in front of his friend. "This is for you."

"What is it?"

"Cookies; the girls baked them especially for you," Duo explained. "But since Dr. Po only would allow two visitors they ask me to deliver them to you."

"They trusted you, with freshly baked cookies?" Wufei seemed surprised.

The braided youth huffed. "I'm insulted. Of course they did."

"Of course they didn't," Heero corrected. "They put a protection spell on the package. Only you can open it."

"Well, apparently they didn't trust **you** either." Duo made a face at his friend.

A knock at the door interrupted their playful quarreling.

"Tea anybody?" Sally Po was carrying a tray with dishes and a pot of steaming hot tea. "Those girls must really admire you, if the go as far as to bake cookies for you." She winked at Wufei and set the tray down on the nightstand.

"I'm sure it's nothing like that." he snapped as he looked away, trying to hide the blush he could feel creeping into his cheeks.

The healer laughed as she turned to leave the room. "Whatever you say."

"Thanks for the tea," Duo called after her. "Come on Wufei, open the package. Those cookies won't get any better with time."

Wufei shook his head even as he started to untie the colorful bow that held the package together. A few moments later the three teens were munching sweet sugar cookies and drinking tea.

"You know, you really scared the hell out of everybody," Duo remarked as he reached for another cookie. "When we heard what happened, we thought history was about to repeat…ouch."

The braided teen glared at Heero, who had kicked him to shut him up. But the damage was already done. Wufei looked at them questioningly.

"What are you talking about?"

"Nothing really. Just a figure of speech."

"Duo," Wufei growled. "Don't give me that. Tell me the truth, what did you mean by 'history repeating itself'?"

"Well…," Duo looked at his friend for help, but Heero wasn't going to clear up the mess he had gotten himself into. "Um… Your master used to have another apprentice before you, but he died."

"Died? How?"

Both of his friends shook their heads in unison. "We are not sure. We only know that it happened five years ago, but that's pretty much it. I'm sorry Wufei; I shouldn't have brought it up. But I'm an idiot, you know that right?"

"It's alright." Wufei lied. Reality was it wasn't alright at all. He wasn't sure why, but the revelation left a bitter taste in his mouth. Did his master really trust him so little that it kept such secrets from him?

* * *

"Master, you wanted to see me."

"Yes, come in, Milliardo." Tubarov was working on some kind of brew that was simmering slowly over the fire.

The blond mage entered cautiously even though the master seemed in a good mood today.

"You have been taking care of Quatre, how is he doing?"

"He is still weak. I put a sleeping spell on him, so he should recover soon."

"That's good. This will help him." The old mage added some ground up roots and a handful of dried herbs to the pot, and the brew bubbled even stronger. "It's almost done; you can take it to him soon."

Tubarov stirred the pot one last time then turned to face his apprentice. "I had not planned on waking him quite yet, but what's done can't be undone. I might as well go ahead with my plans."

"May I ask what kind of plans?" Milliardo asked cautiously.

"Of course you may," his master replied graciously. "All this time I have been preparing for the day when I'm going to punish those who are responsible for your death."

"My…death…?" the young mage stammered bewildered. "But I am alive."

"You are now, but only because I was able to bring you back."

Milliardo's eyes widened.

"Sit down Milliardo, and I'll tell you how it happened."

Stilled shocked the young mage dropped into the nearest chair, so abrupt as though somebody had pulled his legs away from under his body.

Tubarov, black robes fluttering, rounded his desk and settled down across from his apprentice. "Once I was even more powerful that I am now," he begun. "I was one of the Mages of Asmadur and a member of the high magic council. But there were other mages, one on particular, who grew envious of my powers and decided to do away with me. So they framed me, set a trap and tried to seal me to a different dimension. Even though I was able to escape their spell at the last moment I lost much of my power in the process. Once they thought they had gotten rid of me they turned to their next target, you, because you were my apprentice and loyal to me. The man who called himself your friend and became your new master, but once he realized that he could not sway you he decided to kill you. I was too late to save you, and for that I'll always blame myself. But at least I was able to preserve your bodies so that I could bring you back later."

"What about Quatre?" Milliardo asked quietly. "How does he fit into this?"

The master mage rose and walked to the window. For a few moments he stared silently into the night before he replied. "He was just a poor innocent soul; an eyewitness to what happened, so he had to die as well."

Milliardo's eyes darkened, his hands curled into fists. "Who…," he pressed through his teeth. "Who did all of this, Master? Tell me his name."

"His name? His name is Treize Khushrenada. There were others who helped him but he is the one who is to blame."

"But why? Why would anybody do such cruel things?"

"Greed and hunger for dominance are powerful forces that came make people do all kinds of things." _And so are ignorance and gullibility._ The master mage smiled wickedly at his own reflection. _Soon…soon, I'll get my revenge.

* * *

_

Treize paused for just a moment to brace himself before knocking at the door to Wufei's room.

"Come in."

The young mage was sitting up in bed, looking a lot better than only the day before.

"How are you feeling?" this master asked, as he walked over to him.

"Much better, thank you. Dr Po said I might be released in a few days"

"I've brought you the book you ask for and your glasses," Treize set the items down on the nightstand before he added. "I'll have Alden pack up the rest of your things and bring them over later."

Wufei gave them master mage a confused look. "Why? Aren't I going to return to your castle soon?"

"Wufei…The mages council will be meeting in a few hours. I know that several of the members have requested for you to be paired up with a new mentor. And I'm afraid I agree with them."

"But…I don't understand. You said I did nothing wrong. Why won't you at least give me another chance?"

"I assure you, this decision has nothing to do with you personally." Treize sighed inwardly as he lowered his gaze to avoid looking into the boy's eyes. There was no easy way to say this. "What happened yesterday at the Western Forest made me realize that I'm not ready to take another apprentice."

_Because seeing you collapse after being wounded by that poisoned dart, and watching your life slip away quickly, felt like a dagger being stabbed into a freshly healed wound. It brought back memories of the living nightmare I had hoped to forget._

"Does it have anything to do with the dead of your former apprentice?" the young mage asked quietly.

His master's head snapped up. "You knew?"

"My friends told me, just this morning. They only found out about it themselves after doing some research."

"I see." Treize nodded. "What exactly **did **they tell you?"

"Not much; but I really would like to know what happened."

"Are you sure about that?" The master mage gave a short sardonic laugh. "I'll tell you what happened. I killed him."

Wufei swallowed, eyes wide in shock.

The moment the words had left his lips Treize regretted the harsh response. He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes momentarily. "I'm sorry. That was totally uncalled for."

"No…I…shouldn't have asked."

The master mage shook his head, as he pulled a chair next to the youth's bed and lowered himself onto the seat. "I can't blame you. I think you have a right to know. There is still time before the council meeting starts. I'll tell you what really happened back then.  
I'm sure you've heard the name Tubarov before. He was a powerful mage and a member of the mages council. He was not the first person who, tempted by power and riches, turned to dark magic. When the council learned about it it was decided that Tubarov was to be banished and his spirit sealed in a different dimension.  
At that time Tubarov had an apprentice, a young mage by the name of Milliardo Peacecraft. The Peacecraft family and my parents socialized in the same cycles, and Milliardo and I knew each other since we were little kids. When his parents died my family took him in, so we were to say the least good friends, or so I thought." Treize paused for a moment, staring down at his hands before he continued. "According to our laws Milliardo's magic should have been sealed and she should have been dismissed from the academy after his master was banished. However there were people, including myself, who felt that it was unfair to punish him, considering that he himself had done nothing wrong. So I asked the council to allow me to continue Milliardo's training, because in my youthful arrogance I thought that our…friendship was stronger than the bond he had with his former master.  
But I was wrong; Milliardo deceived me and everybody else for a long time. We think that he was trying to find a way to break the seal that keeps Tubarov's spirit confined. Ironically it was another student, a young boy by the name of Quatre Winner, who noticed what I was too blind to see. I believe that he was trying to stop Milliardo, but was attacked by him. When I got to them I tried to stop the battle, but that was easier said then done. Milliardo had always been an incredible fighter. I had no choice but to use lethal force to stop him. In the end however it was all for nothing. I don't exactly remember what happened after the battle. I must have passed out at one point because the Maganacs found me unconscious outside Tubarov's castle. The wing where we had fought was burned to the ground and both of their bodies had turned to ashes." The master mage cleared his throat but didn't look up once he had finished his account.

Wufei was speechless. Really, what should he say, what **could** one say after hearing such a story. He could not even begin to imagine what the master mage must have felt when he was forced to kill his friend and apprentice.

"I'm sorry," he finally managed to whisper.

"Yes, so am I."

After a long moment of uncomfortable silence Treize finally rose from his chair. "It's time for me to go. Good bye, Wufei. And good luck!"

Wufei felt numb as the door closed behind the master mage. So that was it? A good bye and good luck and they would just go their separate ways? _But why do I even care? I didn't want to become his apprentice to begin with. When exactly did that change? Why do I feel like somebody punched me in the stomach right now?

* * *

_

"Mister Chang, what are you doing here?" Master Mage Dermail asked surprised, as the youth walked into the room where the council was meeting. "Shouldn't you still be in the infirmary? Does Doctor Po know that you are out of bed?"

"I'm feeling better already, and I'll go back to bed right after I'm done here," Wufei assured the headmaster. After Treize's visit the young mage had mulled over the situation for a long time before deciding that he needed to do something, and he needed to do it now. "I apologize for barging in here without invitation, but I need you to listen to me."

"Doesn't it have time until later? As you can see, we are in the middle of a council meeting here."

"No, later will be too late," Wufei insisted. "I realize that this a meeting reserved for members of the magic council only. However, since you are about to make a decision that will be affecting me personally, shouldn't I at least be allowed to speak and present my opinion in that matter?"

"Very well," Dermail finally agreed. "Since you feel so very strongly about it, we will listen to you. But at least sit down, Mister Chang. We wouldn't want you to collapse in the middle of your speech, now would we?"

Master Mage Rashid, who as sitting closest to the door, rose and offered his own chair to the young man.

"Thank you." Wufei gave his teacher a grateful nod as he took the seat. When he looked up he noticed that every eye in the room was locked on him. Feeling suddenly very self-conscious, the young apprentice lowered his gaze and cleared his throat before he started to speak. "Headmaster, you promise me that after staying a few weeks with Master Mage Treize it would be up to **me** to decide if I wanted to stay with him or not. But now I hear that you have come together to choose a new mentor for me without ever consulting me about it. **I** already made my decision. I don't need any other teacher. I want to continue my apprenticeship with Master Mage Treize, because I believe that he is the best mentor **for me**."

"Young man, as much as we appreciate your enthusiasm and your devotion toward your master, the decision about what's best for you should really be left to the council." Master Mage Septm suggested with a patronizing smile, and Master Mage Quinze added. "We have a lot more expedience in pairing up a student with a suitable mentor."

Wufei was about to reply something when Treize raised his hand to quiet him, and spoke instead. "They are right, Wufei. I'm not fit to teach an apprentice. I thought you understood that after our conversation earlier today."

Wufei's eyes narrowed. "Is that why you told me the whole story so willingly, to scare me off? But I'm afraid I'm not that easily scared. I trust you, Master. Besides, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't there a rule that states that an apprentice and master shall not be separated once they have formed a bond; or at least not unless extraordinary circumstances call for it?"

What are you talking about?" Bonaparte huffed. Are you suggesting that you and Master Mage Treize have already bonded? That's impossible in such a short time."

"With all due respect, Sir, I beg to differ. Why don't you tell them, Master? You must have felt it too."

All heads turned toward Treize at that revelation.

The master mage looked rather uneasy as he admitted. "It's true. I can't explain it myself." _I don't know what happened. I have done my best to keep my distance…_

"I believe Gentlemen, that poses somewhat of a dilemma," Arch Mage Dermail announced. Somehow he didn't sound too distraught so. "We can't break our own rules, now can we? Mister Chang will continue his apprenticeship under the guidance of Master Mage Treize."

"Thank you, Sir." Wufei gave the headmaster a respectful nod.

Treize's face was an unreadable mask. He didn't say a word, didn't even look at his apprentice.

Suddenly the young mage questioned his own intentions. _Did I come here to show my support to my master, or am I just being selfish?

* * *

_

T.B.C.

Author's Note:

Check out my Sims companion website to this fic. It has not only background info but you can also take a virtual tour through the academy and look at photos of some of the characters. More will be added as the story developed.  
I made 2 entry pages. If you have a slow computer or one that doesn't allow java applets please use this link

http/ java enabled computers use this entry page. The java version is a little cooler IMHO.  
http/ is greatly appreciated, constructive criticism is welcome :-)


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